The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow an executive order that would impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Justice Department filed an emergency appeal on Monday seeking to overturn a lower court’s injunction that blocked implementation of the order in 23 Democrat-led states and the District of Columbia.

In March, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security, to compile state-specific lists of citizens eligible to vote. The order requires the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to individuals on those lists and mandates the use of secure envelopes with unique barcodes for ballot tracking. It also includes provisions for withholding federal funding from states that do not comply.

The move has prompted legal challenges from Democratic officials in the affected states, who argue that the Constitution grants authority over election rules to states and Congress, not the president. They contend that the order could lead to confusion, disenfranchisement, and election disruption. A federal judge in Massachusetts initially blocked the policy from taking effect, a decision recently upheld by a divided panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court ruling described the order as likely to cause voter confusion and disenfranchisement.

In its Supreme Court filing, the Justice Department contends that the executive order merely provides general policy guidance and does not directly dictate state election procedures. Solicitor General D. John Sauer highlighted that agencies tasked with implementing the order have not yet finalized specific plans and called the lower court’s injunction premature. He urged the Supreme Court to lift the block promptly, emphasizing that any new voting policies must be in place by August to affect the November elections. The justices have requested responses from the opposing parties by August 3.

The case is part of a broader effort led by President Trump and his allies to tighten election rules, amid ongoing claims from the former president that voting irregularities are widespread—claims critics say lack substantiating evidence. As the Supreme Court considers whether to intervene, the dispute raises significant questions about federal versus state authority in administering elections and the balance between election security and voter access.