A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked a White House executive order that attempted to establish federal oversight over state voter registration rolls and mail-in voting for the upcoming November 3, 2026, election.
The ruling comes in response to a multi-state lawsuit led by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a coalition of 24 states. The legal challenge focused on an executive order signed on March 31, 2026, which directed the U.S. Postal Service to develop its own independent lists of eligible voters and restrict the delivery of mail-in ballots only to individuals on that federal list.
The order also threatened state election officials with criminal prosecution and the loss of federal funding if they did not comply.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts declared these sections of the executive order unconstitutional, ruling that they exceeded the president’s legal authority. The court issued an injunction preventing the administration from implementing the rules for the November election or any prior federal elections in the participating plaintiff states. The coalition has seven days to submit a proposed final judgment to the court.
Michigan officials welcomed the decision, framing it as a defense of local autonomy.
“Time and time again, this administration has unlawfully tried to use the weight of the federal government to bully local election clerks, suppress voters, and deter Americans from making their voices heard,” Attorney General Nessel said. “If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s that Donald Trump cannot and will not get away with it. Courts have made it resoundingly clear that the President does not have the authority to unilaterally upend the election process. Yet, this White House has shown us they will stop at nothing to manipulate the ballot box. I remain committed to fighting back against these illegal attempts to federalize elections, restrict mail-in voting, and infringe upon Michiganders’ fundamental rights.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer noted that the court victory aligns with recent state-level legislative efforts to protect mail-in voting for military members stationed overseas and their families.
“The federal executive order attacking voting by mail is a direct assault on Michiganders’ freedom to make their voices heard,” Governor Whitmer said. “I’m grateful to Attorney General Nessel for securing this result and fighting tirelessly to protect Michiganders’ right to vote. It builds on the progress we’ve made, including legislation I signed this week, to protect voting by mail for service members overseas, their families, and all Michiganders. Let’s keep working together to keep our elections free, fair, and secure.”
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II also commented on the decision as the nation approaches a historic milestone.
“Voting rights are the bedrock of our democracy,” Lt. Governor Gilchrist said. “The federal executive order attacking votes by mail is clear interference and intimidation against our independent, democratic process. Today’s result is the right one. Thank you to Attorney General Nessel and all our independent, professional election officials throughout Michigan who ensure Michiganders can make their voices heard. As we mark the 250th anniversary of our nation, we all have a role to play in standing up for voting rights and defending the hard-fought freedoms we hold dear.”
The ruling caps off a 24-hour period in which Michigan secured three separate election-related legal victories against federal directives.
“This is another big victory for Michigan voters,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said. “For the third time in 24 hours, a court has upheld the Constitutional role of the states to run elections free of federal interference. The message is loud and clear: every eligible voter can vote by mail in Michigan in this and every election. Nothing has changed – Michiganders can be confident that their vote will count no matter how they choose to cast their ballot. Thank you to AG Nessel and our expert legal teams that continue to fight with us to protect our voters and our elections.”
The other two recent legal victories included a decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit seeking Michigan’s complete, unredacted electronic voter list. State officials had resisted the request to protect sensitive personal details like full Social Security numbers and driver’s license data.
Additionally, Nessel secured a separate permanent injunction blocking key parts of an earlier March 2025 executive order. That order had sought to mandate documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and require states to reject mail-in ballots received after Election Day, even if they were cast on time.
Michigan was joined in the primary lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and the Governor of Pennsylvania.
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