Federal appeals court keeps Trump mail-voting restrictions blocked in 23 states

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on July 25 declined to lift an injunction blocking key parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting in 23 states, leaving the challenged restrictions on hold as litigation continues.

The ruling means the administration cannot implement the provisions covered by the injunction for now. The case puts federal executive authority, state control over election administration and access to mail voting at issue less than four months before the November 2026 midterm elections.

What the court decided

The First Circuit rejected the administration’s request to lift the lower-court injunction. That injunction was secured by several Democratic-led states on June 25, 2026.

According to Reuters, the lower court had concluded that key parts of the executive order were unconstitutional. The appellate decision leaves that lower-court restriction in place while the broader legal dispute proceeds.

The order sought to tighten mail-voting rules before the midterms. Reporting on the litigation has also described proposed restrictions involving mail ballots and the creation of a federal voter list.

The decision does not mean the entire executive order was struck down. It also does not prohibit mail voting in the 23 states involved in the case. The immediate effect is narrower: the provisions covered by the injunction remain blocked while the courts consider the challenges.

Why the dispute matters before the midterms

Election administration in the United States is carried out through a federal-state framework. The litigation tests how far the executive branch can go in directing or changing rules that affect state-run elections, including the handling of mail ballots.

For voters, the ruling preserves the current legal status of the challenged provisions for the time being. But it does not resolve what rules will ultimately apply. The outcome could affect election officials, states and voters who rely on mail voting, depending on how the remaining litigation develops.

The case involves 23 states, giving the dispute consequences beyond a single state or local election system. The November 2026 midterms provide a fixed deadline for the courts and election administrators, even as the legal questions remain unsettled.

Litigation remains unsettled

The appellate courts have not handled every procedural step in the same way. The Associated Press reported on July 28 that a separate appellate panel issued a later procedural ruling concerning the same executive order and that the order’s status for the midterms remained unclear.

That later development does not erase the First Circuit’s July 25 decision. Instead, it underscores that the legal fight is continuing and that the final scope and duration of the restrictions have not been established.

The selected sources do not establish whether the administration will seek intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court. They also do not provide enough detail to identify every provision left blocked by the appellate order and the underlying injunction.

For now, the First Circuit’s action keeps the challenged mail-voting restrictions blocked in the case involving 23 states. Further court action will determine whether those provisions remain suspended, are narrowed or can take effect before voters participate in the November 2026 midterms.