Supreme Court Sides With Maryland Attorney General in Fight Over Mail-In Voting Rules

WASHINGTON — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is among a coalition of state attorneys general celebrating a U.S. Supreme Court decision that prevents the Trump administration from implementing new U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections.

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the administration’s emergency request to allow the Postal Service to enforce the new requirements while litigation continues. The decision leaves a lower-court injunction in place and allows states to continue operating their existing mail-voting systems for the November 3 election.

What Was at the Center of the Case?

The dispute grew out of a March executive order from President Donald Trump concerning federal elections. The order directed the Postal Service to develop new procedures involving mail ballots. The resulting USPS rule included requirements for states to provide information about voters receiving mail ballots and to comply with new standards involving ballot envelopes and tracking.

Under the challenged rule, states could have faced restrictions on the mailing of ballots that did not comply with the new federal requirements.

Maryland joined other states challenging the administration's actions, arguing that the federal government was interfering with authority traditionally exercised by states in administering elections and that imposing major changes shortly before Election Day could disrupt voting.

Brown: “The Supreme Court Got It Right”

Following the ruling, Brown said the decision appropriately limits the Postal Service's role in determining who receives a ballot.

“The Supreme Court got it right,” Brown told WBAL NewsRadio. “The Postal Service has no business deciding who gets a ballot and who doesn’t.”

Brown also said Maryland and the other states involved in the litigation would continue watching for additional federal actions affecting election administration.

The attorney general has been involved in several legal challenges to Trump administration election policies this year. In June, Brown's office announced that Maryland and a multistate coalition had secured a federal district court ruling blocking portions of the president's election-related executive order.

What the Supreme Court Actually Decided

The ruling does not settle every legal question surrounding federal authority over mail voting.

Instead, the Supreme Court rejected the administration's effort to put the USPS rule into effect immediately while the broader litigation continues. According to Reuters, the Court concluded that the government had not demonstrated grounds for emergency relief and was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh separately indicated that the Postal Service may have some authority to regulate ballot mail but concluded that implementing the new system this close to an election would create significant disruption.

That distinction is important: the decision blocks the new requirements for the upcoming election, but litigation over the broader legal authority of the federal government and Postal Service could continue.

What It Means for Maryland Voters

For Maryland voters, the immediate impact is straightforward: the federal Postal Service requirements at issue will not take effect for the November 3 election.

States can continue using their existing procedures for distributing mail ballots rather than rapidly restructuring their systems to comply with the challenged USPS regulations. Nationally, nearly one-third of voters use mail voting, making the dispute particularly consequential so close to Election Day.

The administration has argued that its election policies are intended to strengthen election integrity and public confidence. The states challenging the policies contend that the executive branch exceeded its authority and that last-minute changes could prevent eligible voters from receiving ballots. Those broader legal and political disagreements remain unresolved even after Monday's Supreme Court action.

For now, however, the existing mail-voting process remains in place for the 2026 midterm election.

THE BREAKDOWN: The Supreme Court's decision represents a significant legal victory for Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown and the coalition challenging the new federal mail-ballot rules. More importantly for voters, it means the Postal Service cannot implement the disputed requirements ahead of November's election while the underlying legal fight continues.

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