Appeals court blocks rollout of new mail-in voting rules before midterms

A First Circuit appeals court in Boston refused to lift an injunction blocking USPS's final rules for mail-in ballots, keeping measures such as barcode scanning and voter-list requirements from taking effect ahead of the November elections amid concerns of voter confusion and disenfranchisement. The court affirmed lower-court findings about potential chaos and noted state election officials would still control who votes by mail, with the Postal Service’s role limited to envelope design compliance. The Supreme Court is weighing a similar request in a related case.