‘Fight Is Far From Over’: Democratic States Respond To Supreme Court Ruling On Mail-In Voting

Aug 25, 2026 04:57 PM - 1 hour ago 1

Topline

Democrat-led states signaled they will proceed to conflict President Donald Trump administration’s efforts to restrict the usage of mail-in voting up of November’s midterm elections, aft the Supreme Court, successful an emergency ruling, lifted a little tribunal injunction blocking the efforts without weighing successful connected their legality.

An predetermination worker processes mail-in ballots astatine the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center during California's authorities superior election.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

In a statement issued aft the ruling, New York Attorney General Letitia James said the court’s determination was a “painful setback” but not the “final word,” and added that the “fight is acold from over,” and the authorities was exploring ineligible options.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the Supreme Court had “reopened the door” for the Trump management to “make it harder for Americans to vote,” and said the determination was not based connected the “merits of the case.”

Bonta noted that the Constitution gives the president “no authority” complete really states administer their elections and said California will proceed to conflict backmost against “unlawful national overreach.”

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown criticized the Supreme Court’s blimpish majority, saying they don’t look to admit “ the sedate threat the president’s actions airs for our democracy.”

Brown, however, noted that the ruling does not “bless the constituent of the president’s actions,” and Washington authorities stands fresh to “take action to protect the integrity of our elections and forestall this intelligibly unconstitutional overreach.”

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes described the ruling arsenic “procedural” successful an X post and reiterated comments made by different AGs saying states tally their elections: “Not the Postal Service. Not the President.”

What Have Other Democratic Leaders and Officials Said?

In a post connected X, California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the ruling and wrote: “The Supreme Court conscionable fto the Trump Admin move up (for now) pinch its scheme to disenfranchise voters crossed the country. California will beryllium suing AGAIN to artifact these Orwellian rules from being implemented.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tweeted the “SCOTUS determination does NOT woody pinch the constituent of Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order and does not mean his forbidden effort to restrict mail-in voting will spell forward,” and vowed to spot the Trump management successful court. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed a akin sentiment and said the ruling doesn’t alteration the facts that “Trump does not get to rewrite predetermination rule aliases suppress the correct to ballot pinch the changeable of a pen.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was moreover much forceful successful his disapproval and said: “Trump’s effort to move the Postal Service into a elector suppression instrumentality is blatantly unconstitutional – yet his MAGA Supreme Court is refusing to extremity it from going forward…Senate Democrats will conflict each effort to hijack mail-in voting and rig the rules earlier voters person their opportunity this November.”

What Do We Know About The Supreme Court Ruling?

In the 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court’s blimpish mostly granted the Trump administration’s entreaty against a little tribunal injunction that had blocked national agencies for illustration the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security from implementing elements of Trump’s executive order from March. The majority, however, noted that the ruling “does not mean that immoderate measurement taken by the Government to instrumentality the Order will needfully beryllium lawful. On that score, clip will tell,” leaving the doorway unfastened for early challenges. The court’s 3 wide justices wrote the dissenting sentiment noting that the ruling “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections.”

Tangent

The president has not yet commented connected the Supreme Court’s ruling aliases the Democrats’ reaction. Last week, the U.S. Postal Service finalized a caller rule that would let the agency to nonstop mail-in ballots only to voters whose accusation has been shared pinch the national government. The norm was based connected Trump’s March executive bid and required authorities and section predetermination officials to taxable voters’ names and addresses to USPS done a caller portal. The work would nonstop mail-in ballots only to voters whose accusation had been submitted by the states.