Supreme Court lets mail ballots flow as normal to voters

Supreme Court lets mail ballots flow as. Supreme Court lets mail ballots flow as normal to voters.

Key points

• Cooper, Associated Press, Humera Lodhi, Associated Press, Simran Parwani, Associated Press May 6, 2026.
• An election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office for the Florida primary election in Doral, Fla., Tuesday, Aug.
• The Senate Appropriations Committee chairman will be turning in his gavel in January 2028, deciding to step away from the Mississippi Legislature after five terms.
• "This is a victory for Oregonians, the right to vote, and the rule of law, " remarked Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, a Democrat.
• Supreme Court lifted much of that uncertainty late Monday when it rejected President Donald Trump's push to have the U.S.

Supreme Court lets mail ballots flow as. Supreme Court lets mail ballots flow as normal to voters. By: Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press – September 15, 2026.

Notably, an election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office for the Florida primary election in Doral, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky).

Meanwhile, the decision confirmed late Monday allows mail voting to continue as usual. It additionally suggests that the court is unlikely to backing similar efforts in future elections.

Even with voting already underway, uncertainty regarding what might come next had been hovering over preparations for this year's midterm elections.

Notably, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted much of that uncertainty late Monday when it rejected President Donald Trump's push to have the U.S. Postal Service play a central role in deciding who would be able to receive a mail ballot.

In practice, the decision is a win for the status quo. The thousands of election offices around the country can send out mail ballots as they had intended without worrying regarding complying with new Postal Service rules imposed at the 11th hour.

"Now, we can finally move forward and get back to what we do best: conducting our elections without a dark cloud hanging over us – fairly, openly, for the people, by the people, " California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat who oversees voting in a state where all voters receive a mail ballot, remarked in an official note after the decision. Executive order and ongoing litigation had created confusion.

Notably, the case before the court stemmed from an executive order Trump signed in March.

In practice, the administration developed a plan that would require states to adopt a uniform envelope style for mailed ballots and submit lists of eligible voters to an online portal it was developing. The Postal Service could refuse to deliver ballots to states that didn't comply.

Meanwhile, a whistleblower report remarked the postal system's requirements could lead to millions of mail ballots never being sent, disenfranchising numerous of the country's voters during an election that will decide control of Congress during the final two years of Trump's term.

Notably, a tangle of legal challenges, rapid-fire rulings and appeals left election authorities uncertain concerning what rules would ultimately be in place. But they agreed on one thing: Introducing such massive changes so close to a general election would be chaotic and almost impossible to pull off in a country where roughly a third of voters apply mail ballots.

Notably, the Supreme Court's decision comes as mail voting is already in progress in some states. Some election authorities have stated they were worried that the dispute, coming late in the election cycle, would leave voters confused regarding what's allowed.

Voting rights advocates and state election authorities moved swiftly after Monday's decision to produce clear that elections will function as they always have in each state.

"Utahns can have confidence that the 2026 election will proceed as normal, " remarked Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican serving as the state's chief election officer.

In practice, the uncertainty was most pressing in the states that rely on mail voting.

In practice, the concern was particularly acute in the eight states where voters cast ballots almost entirely by mail: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

They had faced the daunting challenge of adapting in short order without an extensive network of polling places.

"This is a victory for Oregonians, the right to vote, and the rule of law, " remarked Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, a Democrat. "This provides voters and elections officials with the certainty they need ahead of a major, federal election, and it sends a clear message to this country: Presidents don't run elections, the people do."

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar remarked his reaction to the Supreme Court's decision is "one of relief, but also excitement, because today the voters really won across America."

In Nevada's June primary, more than half of voters cast ballots by mail. It's a state where mail voting is "critical" to voter voices being heard, Aguilar remarked.

But the Democrat remarked "some of the damage has already been done, " with false claims concerning mail ballots affecting people's confidence in the voting method. "You can trust the process, " Aguilar pressed voters. "Please participate." What regarding future elections?

Lower courts had blocked the Trump administration from implementing its rules. The Supreme Court rejected the its attempt to stay those decisions, even as three justices – Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas – expressed various levels of willingness to let Trump carry out his plan in current or future elections.

Yet a majority of the justices observed in the decision that the administration was "unlikely to succeed on the merits" in defending its plan. It was heartening to some voting rights experts to see that language inserted.

"The court didn't have to explain that it was disinclined to side with the government on the merits, but it did that, and that is a sign for the future, " remarked Derek Muller, a Notre Dame law professor.

David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department lawyer who is now executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, remarked implementing Trump's executive order "would have done nothing for election integrity but would have imposed a vast and expensive new bureaucracy on the states" and disenfranchised voters.

He remarked the majority's language concerning the merits of the case meant "it is unlikely these rules will ever apply to any election."

He continued, "Thanks to the rule of law, voters will not need to worry about this."

Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California, Nicholas Riccardi in Mason, Michigan, Ali Swenson in New York, Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington, D.C., and Wufei Yu in Phoenix contributed to this report. Regarding the Author(s). Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press.

Elections Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press, Michelle L. Cost, Associated Press September 10, 2026.

Trump wants to create this midterm year 'special' to avoid losing Republican control of Congress.

Republicans are imploring voters to consider the GOP accomplishments. They warn of what's coming if Democrats seize power. More From This Author.

Elections Collin Binkley, Associated Press, Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press September 3, 2026.

Trump promises to campaign for Republicans and notes they have a winning midterm message.

News Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press, Humera Lodhi, Associated Press, Simran Parwani, Associated Press May 6, 2026.

Takeaways from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan: Trump's flex pays off and Democrats win special election. News Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press December 12, 2025. Trump signs executive order to block state AI regulations. News Frank Corder September 14, 2026. State Rep. Mims won't seek 7th term. News Jill Colvin, Associated Press September 9, 2026.

Republicans gather in Dallas for two-day midterm convention billed as a 'Trump-a-Palooza'.

Organizers describe it as a showcase for Trump's successes and Republican causes. The convention features speeches from Trump, his eldest son and other party leaders. Elections Frank Corder September 8, 2026.

Hopson won't seek re-election to state Senate or run for Attorney General.

Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman will be turning in his gavel in January 2028, deciding to step away from the Mississippi Legislature after five terms. News Josh Boak, Associated Press September 14, 2026.

Trump dismisses new AI guardrails, notes there is a 'SICK conspiracy' against AI and data centers. News Jeremy Pittari September 14, 2026.

In short, supreme Court lets mail ballots flow as normal to voters is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.