President Donald Trump has been pressuring majority Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, the provisions of which he says will dramatically improve election integrity and security.
One of the provisions dramatically curtails mail-in ballots, which several election experts say are ripe for abuse and fraud.
While Republicans so far have been unable to get the bill across the finish line and onto Trump’s desk, the administration nevertheless secured a huge win against the widespread use of mail-in ballots in places like California.
Voters there and elsewhere who are concerned about weeks-long delays in election results may see changes following a federal appeals court ruling that could influence how mail ballots are processed nationwide.
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit temporarily allowed the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with a proposed election mail rule requiring states to provide voter registration lists and serialized ballot barcodes before federal ballots are mailed.
Supporters of the rule say it would strengthen election administration and security.
In California, where nearly all registered voters receive mail ballots, the ruling could have significant implications for election procedures as state officials continue to address concerns over lengthy vote-counting periods and public debate about election integrity.
“This ruling is a win for election integrity and would have significant implications for states like California that refuse to submit their voter rolls to verify compliance with federal election laws,” said First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli.
The appeals court’s order does not resolve the underlying lawsuit but temporarily permits the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with the proposed rule while the case proceeds through the courts.
Supporters argue the changes are intended to strengthen public confidence in the election system, particularly in states such as California, where voting by mail is the primary method used in most elections.
California election officials have defended the state’s voting system as secure while acknowledging that processing millions of ballots requires significant time.
In Los Angeles County alone, which has more than 10 million residents—more than the population of many states—counting ballots is a substantial logistical undertaking, the New York Post noted.
California election officials have disputed President Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud and have maintained that the state’s election system includes extensive safeguards to protect the integrity of the voting process.
The appeals court’s decision does not resolve the long-term validity of the Postal Service’s proposed election mail rule or Trump’s broader election-related executive order.
However, it temporarily allows the rule to move forward while the legal challenge continues.
According to court records, the case is National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. United States Postal Service and Louis DeJoy, No. 26-5257, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
In a two-page order, the three-judge panel concluded that the Postal Service had satisfied the legal standard for a stay pending appeal, allowing the proposed election mail rule to proceed while the litigation continues.
In a 5-4 decision that has conservatives sounding the alarm on election security, the Supreme Court ruled in June that federal law does not bar states from counting mail-in ballots received days after Election Day, as long as they were postmarked by the deadline.
The case, Watson v. Republican National Committee, centered on Mississippi’s law allowing absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if received up to five business days later.
The Republican National Committee, Mississippi GOP, and voters challenged the practice, arguing it violates federal statutes setting a uniform Election Day for federal races.
The Fifth Circuit had sided with them, but the high court reversed that safeguard.
