Where Things Stand Now
Trump’s executive order seeks to impose sweeping new federal restrictions on voting by mail, including requiring the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to voters on federally approved lists and giving the federal government new authority over how states administer mail elections.
The Postal Service finalized rules to implement the order on August 21. Three days later, the Supreme Court lifted a lower-court order blocking those rules but did not rule on whether the executive order is legal. The order remains blocked from taking effect.
On August 28, a federal judge issued a new temporary restraining order blocking core parts of the Postal Service’s rule. A hearing is scheduled for September 3.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a coalition of two dozen states challenging the Postal Service rules in court.
Preparing for Election Day
For Cook County voters, the process for voting by mail remains unchanged for now. Election officials are continuing to prepare for November and will keep voters informed as the legal situation develops.
Clerk Gordon opened the doors to the Election Operations Center, giving elected officials, voting rights advocates, and the media a firsthand look at how her office is securing the vote, protecting access, and fighting election misinformation.
