https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/Ongoing. President Trump signed an elections order in March 2025 requiring documentary proof of citizenship on the federal registration form and an Election Day ballot receipt deadline, and a second order in March 2026 on citizenship lists and Postal Service handling of mail ballots. Federal judges in Boston, Washington and Seattle permanently blocked the main parts of the first order. The Supreme Court stayed one injunction against the second order as premature, then refused to let the resulting Postal Service rule apply to the 2026 election.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e31trump-election-executive-orders-65e0ee7cb8Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Supreme Court stayed the June order vacating the modified SAVE program, finding the government's claims likely to succeed because federal law likely authorises the data sharing. Justices Jackson, Sotomayor and Kagan dissented. The Court noted that a 90 day federal limit on systematic voter roll removals before an election reduced the practical effect.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e30trump-election-executive-orders-9270cab44fMon, 14 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Supreme Court denied the government's stay application, saying it was unlikely to succeed on the merits. Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred, writing that applying the rule in 2026 would be arbitrary and capricious given the time left for election officials. Justice Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e29trump-election-executive-orders-e36f064197Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000After the plaintiffs refiled following the final rule, Judge Nichols, who had earlier found their challenge premature, issued a preliminary injunction freezing enforcement of the Postal Service rule before the midterms, the Associated Press reported. NPR identified the case as DSCC v. Trump.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e28trump-election-executive-orders-c8322d3153Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000A three judge First Circuit panel refused to lift Judge Talwani's preliminary injunction, the Associated Press reported. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e27trump-election-executive-orders-f961ddf143Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000The government filed a notice of appeal from Judge Casper's final judgment and permanent injunction in the first executive order case.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e26trump-election-executive-orders-511540a112Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000Judge Talwani issued a preliminary injunction against implementation of the challenged Postal Service rule provisions. The court assessed the final rule itself following the earlier litigation over the executive order.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e25trump-election-executive-orders-0d7275d77aThu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Judge Talwani temporarily restrained enforcement of challenged provisions of the final Postal Service rule while the court considered preliminary relief.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e24trump-election-executive-orders-259d2f3e73Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Following the Supreme Court's decision, Judge Talwani vacated the 11 August preliminary injunction in the League of Women Voters case. She held that the organizations needed to amend their complaint to address the newly issued final Postal Service rule. This was not a ruling upholding that rule.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e23trump-election-executive-orders-e812314f85Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000In an unsigned opinion the Supreme Court stayed Judge Talwani's injunction, finding the government likely to show the states lacked standing and their claims were not ripe because Sections 2 and 3 are internal directives. It said this did not mean future implementing measures would be lawful. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Jackson dissented.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e22trump-election-executive-orders-0cd45aed79Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Postal Service issued its final rule, effective 21 August and published on 26 August. It requires approved envelope designs with a barcode and state participation lists submitted through a portal, says noncompliant outbound mailings may be temporarily rejected, and says the Postal Service will not act to implement it for the 2026 election unless the government obtains relief from two injunctions issued in Boston.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e21trump-election-executive-orders-d2ae29b35cTue, 11 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000In a suit brought by the League of Women Voters and other voting rights groups, Judge Talwani issued a preliminary injunction barring the Postal Service from taking steps to implement Executive Order 14399 for the midterms, the Associated Press reported. Government lawyers argued the plaintiffs lacked standing, the challenge was premature and the claimed harms were speculative.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e20trump-election-executive-orders-aeb41e396fMon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000After a divided First Circuit panel refused to pause Judge Talwani's injunction, the government asked the Supreme Court for a stay, and twelve states led by Alabama filed a similar request, according to the Supreme Court's order and SCOTUSblog.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e19trump-election-executive-orders-69da0626a2Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000Chief Judge Casper declared Sections 2(a), 3(d), 4(a), 7(a) and 7(b) unconstitutional and void. The injunction bars citizenship documentation requirements on the federal registration and overseas voting forms. Funding relief covers plaintiff states except Wisconsin, while ballot receipt relief covers 13 named states. The injunction excludes the President.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e18trump-election-executive-orders-c9bc56e4b0Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000In Watson v. Republican National Committee, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for a 5 to 4 majority that federal Election Day laws do not stop Mississippi from counting ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to five business days later. Justice Samuel Alito dissented. The case concerned a state law, not the executive order.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e17trump-election-executive-orders-a328e3621eThu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000Judge Indira Talwani entered judgment and a permanent injunction against implementation of Sections 2 and 3 of Executive Order 14399 for the plaintiff states for the 2026 cycle. The Supreme Court's later opinion recounts that ruling and the government's appeal.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e16trump-election-executive-orders-a1bf5e6b0cWed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000Judge Casper granted summary judgment to most of the plaintiff states, permanently barring enforcement of the proof of citizenship requirement and, for the states that count late arriving mail ballots, of the Election Day ballot receipt deadline, according to ABC News and the docket summary. She ruled for the government on Wisconsin's claims and on the ballot receipt claims of five states without such laws, finding they lacked standing.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e15trump-election-executive-orders-9801f9c49dMon, 22 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000The US District Court for the District of Columbia set aside a modified version of the federal SAVE citizenship verification program, which had added Social Security data and bulk searches after the 2025 order directed such systems, according to the Supreme Court's later summary of the case (No. 25-cv-3501).https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e14trump-election-executive-orders-73b76ebd3cTue, 02 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Postal Service published a proposed rule requiring barcoded, design reviewed ballot envelopes for federal general, special and runoff elections and a portal through which states would enrol mail voters. Comments closed on 2 July.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e13trump-election-executive-orders-ae4ff50667Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington declined to block Executive Order 14399, finding the request for a preliminary injunction premature because no agency had yet acted in a way that harmed the plaintiffs. He did not rule on whether the order is lawful, Reuters reported.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e12trump-election-executive-orders-118fbea2e7Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000Twenty three states and the District of Columbia filed their challenge to Executive Order 14399 in Massachusetts federal court. The later preliminary injunction opinion records the filing and the states' challenge to federal control of mail voting.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e10trump-election-executive-orders-1c027ec419Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000President Trump signed Executive Order 14399, Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections. It directed the Department of Homeland Security, with Social Security records, to send each state a list of confirmed adult citizens at least 60 days before federal elections, and told the Attorney General to prioritise prosecuting officials who issue federal ballots to ineligible people.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e11trump-election-executive-orders-3b41941297Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000Section 3 directed the Postal Service to propose a rule within 60 days and finalise one within 120 days. Under it, ballot envelopes would carry a unique barcode and pass a design review, and the Postal Service would carry ballots only for voters on state participation lists. The order says appearing on a citizenship list does not register anyone.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e9trump-election-executive-orders-ddd7065b60Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000The government appealed Judge Chun's January ruling to the Ninth Circuit. On 6 May the appeals court paused the appeal at the parties' request pending resolution of the remaining district court claims, according to the Oregon Department of Justice's litigation record.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e8trump-election-executive-orders-55ebc3e498Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000Judge Kollar-Kotelly permanently blocked the directive for agencies to assess citizenship before giving registration forms to public assistance enrollees and the Defense Secretary's requirement for documentary proof of citizenship from military voters, the Associated Press reported. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the ruling was not the final say and the administration looked forward to ultimate victory.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e7trump-election-executive-orders-a0fd1722f7Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000Judge John H. Chun granted summary judgment to Washington and Oregon on Sections 2(a), 4(a), 4(b), 7(a) and 7(b) and permanently enjoined them, finding the order largely exceeded presidential authority. He dismissed their challenges to several other sections, according to the case docket summary and the Associated Press.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e6trump-election-executive-orders-995e9e5426Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000Judge Kollar-Kotelly granted partial summary judgment, holding that the proof of citizenship directive violates the separation of powers and permanently barring the Election Assistance Commission from adding the requirement to the federal form, the Associated Press reported. Challenges to the ballot receipt provisions remained pending in that case.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e5trump-election-executive-orders-924c811a60Fri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000Judge Denise Casper preliminarily blocked the federal registration form directive, the directive to assess citizenship before providing registration forms and the overseas voting form directive. She also barred enforcement of the ballot receipt provisions against the 13 plaintiff states with ballot receipt laws at issue.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e4trump-election-executive-orders-f8384eaa12Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly temporarily blocked the citizenship documentation requirement for the federal registration form and a directive requiring agencies to assess citizenship before providing registration forms. She declined to block other provisions at that stage, the Associated Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e3trump-election-executive-orders-cb5e48ea16Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000Washington and Oregon, which conduct elections by mail, sued in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington (Washington v. Trump, No. 2:25-cv-00602), according to the case docket summary. Officials in the two states said the order could disenfranchise thousands of voters, the Associated Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/incidents/trump-election-executive-orders/#e2trump-election-executive-orders-5406e26e03Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000Nineteen states, through their attorneys general, sued President Trump, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the Election Assistance Commission and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts (California v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-10810). They challenged the proof of citizenship, overseas voting form, funding and ballot receipt provisions.