AUGUSTA, MAINE – A federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration from interfering with states’ rights to conduct mail-in voting for the upcoming November elections, now 67 days away. Judge Indira Talwani ruled yesterday that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in proving the administration’s order was unconstitutional.
“Last night’s decision was wonderful news for Maine voters who rely on absentee voting,” Secretary Bellows said. “The judge made clear that the states, not the federal government, are in charge of elections. That goes to the heart of our legal fights in court against the Trump Administration. We will continue to stand with other states and voting rights advocates across the nation to defend the voting rights – including the right to vote by mail – for every citizen.”
In the decision, Judge Talwani wrote, “the Constitution charges the States with election administration” going on to say that no law has been passed by Congress that “would permit the USPS to regulate election mail.” The judge went even further to note that with just two months to the election, it would an expensive and likely impossible task for the 2026 election, saying, “Plaintiff States face irreparable harm where they are required to comply with a likely unconstitutional regulation for which compliance is practically impossible.”
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Attachment: read the 08-27-26 order