November election to proceed as usual after Supreme Court blocks mail voting changes

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court stopped a proposed rule change to mail voting in the United States.

The U.S. Postal Service published a new mail ballot rule Aug. 26 following a March 31 executive order. The rule would add requirements for election offices, including submitting ballot envelope designs for approval, using unique bar codes and providing information about mail ballot recipients through a Postal Service system.

A federal judge temporarily blocked key parts of the rule Aug. 27 while the legal challenge continues. On Sept. 14, the Supreme Court decided the rules should not be changed before the November 2026 elections.

“Applying the rule in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections,” wrote Justice Kavanaugh on Sept. 14, concurring with the ruling.

Mesa County voters can expect the usual mail ballot process for the Nov. 3 general election. Mesa County Elections will begin mailing ballots Oct. 2 to active registered voters.