A US Supreme Court ruling could allow the Trump administration to move forward with parts of an executive order restricting mail-in voting, but the Court did not rule on whether those restrictions are legal, and the decision does not change Maryland’s current mail-in voting process.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) this week sided with the Trump administration in a procedural dispute over President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order on federal elections. The Court found that the states challenging the order lacked standing to bring their case at this stage.
SCOTUS did not rule on whether the president’s proposed mail-in voting restrictions are legal. Instead, it found that the states challenging the order lacked standing, leaving the underlying legal questions unresolved.
The president’s executive order calls for new federal requirements for mail-in voting, including changes involving voter eligibility information and how the US Postal Service handles ballot mail.
USPS has since finalized rules for handling mail-in and absentee ballots in federal elections. However, those rules do not go as far as some of the original provisions, and the agency will not implement them for the 2026 election while current court injunctions remain in place.
Other lawsuits remain active, and federal courts have previously blocked portions of the executive order. So while this week’s SCOTUS ruling gives the administration more room to move forward, it does not settle the broader legal fight.
Nothing in the ruling changes Maryland’s mail-in voting process.
State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis emphasized that point after the ruling. He has previously addressed what the federal actions mean for Maryland elections, where Maryland law continues to govern mail-in voting.
There are 26 days before Maryland starts sending out mail-in ballots. Mail-in voting is a secure, convenient and LEGAL method for casting your ballot. This ruling does nothing to undermine that.
— Jared DeMarinis (@JaredDeMarinis) August 25, 2026
Maryland law allows any registered voter to request a mail-in ballot, and Monday’s ruling does not change that. It does not cancel mail-in voting, change how Marylanders request or cast their ballots, or determine that the president’s proposed restrictions are legal.
With Maryland preparing to send mail-in ballots in September and litigation continuing, additional court action could come before the November midterms.
Stay tuned to Conduit Street for more information.
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