Governor Gavin Newsom announced the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to restrict mail voting, allowing California and other states to proceed with established voting procedures.
The Trump administration's U.S. Postal Service rule would have required states to redesign and reprint ballot envelopes, enroll millions of voters in a new untested USPS tracking system, and comply with burdensome requirements that would have allowed USPS to refuse delivery of non-compliant mail ballots.
California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., said the ruling ends uncertainty about voting procedures. "Voters will be able to cast their ballots without uncertainty, without hesitation, and without fear that their voices will be questioned or their ballots rejected," she said.
A recent whistleblower report warned of "potentially catastrophic problems" with the administration's efforts and characterized them as "sloppy and rushed." The USPS admitted in court filings that the technology to implement the rule was not yet available. Election officials across the nation, including chiefs from Republican-led states such as Georgia, Kansas, and Kentucky, argued the rule could not be responsibly implemented before the November elections.
California invested funds to prepare for the legal challenge. According to the governor's office, the final budget included $29 million for county staffing, technology upgrades, and equipment; $5 million for voter outreach at the county level; $5 million for statewide voter education; and $750,000 to combat misinformation and guard against federal interference.