Overview
- The Department of Justice filed an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday asking the court to pause Judge Indira Talwani’s temporary restraining order so key parts of the USPS rule can take effect.
- Talwani issued the TRO after challengers argued the rule unlawfully lets the Postal Service impose envelope design, barcode and voter‑list upload requirements that could alter how states send ballots.
- North Carolina planned to begin mailing absentee ballots on Friday, September 4, and state election officials held last‑minute meetings to decide whether to proceed under existing procedures.
- A recent whistleblower report and testimony raised specific technical concerns about the USPS portal, saying the system was rushed, not fully tested, and could reject or delay batches of ballots if barcodes or uploads fail.
- The Supreme Court set a short response window with briefs due by September 8, and its decision could determine whether the rules are enforced for the midterms or remain blocked while litigation continues.