Appeals Court Deals Blow to Trump’s Mail Voting Order as Midterms Enter 100-Day Sprint

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A federal appeals court has delivered another decisive rebuke to President Trump’s efforts to reshape American elections, upholding an injunction that blocks his executive order to create a federal voter list and restrict mail-in ballots in 23 states. The ruling comes as the 2026 midterm elections enter their final 100-day sprint, with polling pointing to a potential Democratic takeover of the House and Republicans bracing for a brutal fight to keep the Senate.

Court Rejects Trump’s Mail Voting Restrictions in 23 States

A federal appeals court on Saturday dealt a significant blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to tighten mail-in voting rules ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, upheld a lower-court injunction that blocks key provisions of President Trump’s executive order aimed at creating a federal list of eligible voters and limiting mail ballot delivery only to individuals on that list.

The administration’s argument: The Justice Department had argued that because government agencies had yet to finalize actions to implement Trump’s directive, any lawsuit challenging the order was premature.

The court’s response: The appeals court rejected that argument, writing: “As the district court reasoned, the (executive order) lays out a clear set of rapidly approaching deadlines by which states must coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures — all while the states must also ensure that their officials and the public understand the evolving set of rules that would govern the upcoming September and November elections”.

The ruling affects 23 states that sued to block the order, and the government may now be forced to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania challenging the order, secured another victory against what he called the administration’s “second elections-related executive order”. Voting rights groups also renewed their request for a preliminary injunction to block the U.S. Postal Service from implementing portions of the order.

100 Days Out: Democrats Poised for House Takeover, GOP Fights to Keep Senate

With exactly 100 days until the November 3 midterm elections, the political landscape is shifting decisively against Republicans. President Trump’s Republicans are staring down polling that points to the loss of the House of Representatives and a ferocious battle to retain the Senate.

The numbers:

Decision Desk HQ predicts Democrats have a 59 percent chance of winning the House, forecasting a 224-211 majority
Republicans hold a historically narrow House majority, and only a handful of seats need to change hands
In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, meaning Democrats need a net gain of four seats. Decision Desk HQ narrowly favors Republicans to retain control through a 50-50 split, with Vice President JD Vance casting tie-breaking votes

The headwinds for Republicans:

Gas prices have climbed above $4 a gallon as the Iran war disrupts energy markets
Inflation remains elevated, and interest rates are high
Voters now trust Democrats more than Republicans on inflation, healthcare, and even immigration, according to polling cited by Democrats
Trump’s job approval rating in Michigan has fallen to 33 percent, with 61 percent disapproving

What a Democratic House would mean:
A Democratic House would give the party control of powerful committees and subpoena authority, likely subjecting Trump’s administration to two years of investigations and potentially exposing him to a third impeachment drive. His legislative agenda would stall, and Democrats would gain a national platform from which to scrutinize the Iran war, administration ethics, and the president’s attempts to reshape elections.

Jeffries: Republicans Have “Nothing to Run On”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a blistering assessment of Republican prospects on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, exactly 100 days from the midterms.

“Republicans … have failed to actually deliver on making life more affordable for the American people,” Jeffries said. “It was Donald Trump who promised to lower costs on day one. But we know that costs haven’t gone down in this country. Costs have gone up”.

He also highlighted Trump’s broken promise to avoid Middle East wars: “It was Donald Trump … who said that he was elected not to start wars, endless wars in the Middle East, but to stop them – and then turned”.

Jeffries argued the Republican strategy of attacking noncitizen voting is a distraction from their failures on costs and war.

Iran War and the Economy Dominate Voter Concerns

The escalating conflict with Iran is casting a long shadow over the midterm elections. The House on Thursday narrowly passed a resolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran by a vote of 214-208, sending a warning to President Trump for the second time as the war has escalated and the future of the conflict remains uncertain.

The human and financial cost:

18 U.S. service members have been killed in the Iran war
More than 400 have been wounded
The U.S. has spent $37.5 billion on the war so far
Gas and grocery prices have soared amid the conflict
95% of Americans believe the U.S. is suffering an affordability crisis, according to exclusive polling conducted for The Guardian

Diplomatic efforts:
Trump has directed the U.S. military not to carry out any new strikes against Iran, according to Axios, in a move intended to provide additional time for diplomatic efforts. The U.S. and Iran paused their attacks for a second straight day Sunday as efforts continued to bring them back to negotiations on an interim ceasefire deal. However, Trump has said he has not yet decided whether to launch major military strikes, warning the U.S. is “locked and loaded” if military action becomes necessary.

Trump Heads to Michigan to Tout Economy Amid Voter Skepticism

President Trump will travel to a General Motors test site in Michigan on Monday to tout his trade and industrial policies. The visit comes as Michigan voters have become increasingly skeptical about Trump’s handling of the economy and trade.

The polling in Michigan:

Trump’s job approval rating: 33% approve, 61% disapprove
Most voters say consumers — not foreign countries — are bearing the cost of tariffs
Pollster Bernie Porn: “He’s got a serious problem going into the midterms because people don’t believe him and they don’t think he’s telling the truth”

Michigan will be a critical battleground in the fight for control of Congress, with an open Senate seat drawing national attention. Republicans are rallying behind former Congressman Mike Rogers, while Democrats are holding a competitive primary featuring Representative Haley Stevens and two state senators, Mallory McMorrow and Abdul El-Sayed.

Senate to Vote on Trump’s Intelligence Nominee

The Senate is set to begin voting as early as Monday on the nomination of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National Intelligence. Clayton is expected to be approved within days despite a tense confirmation hearing.

If confirmed, Clayton would fill a role vacated in June when Tulsi Gabbard stepped down after a tenure marked by clashes with congressional Democrats. The position of DNI was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to coordinate the country’s sprawling intelligence apparatus.

Trump Presses Senate to Pass SAVE Act or End Filibuster

President Trump on Monday urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to keep the chamber in session until it passes the SAVE America Act or eliminates the filibuster. The bill, which would tighten voting rules, has stalled in the Senate. Trump has made winning approval of the legislation a priority. The appeals court ruling on mail voting represents another setback to his broader efforts to overhaul elections.

The Bottom Line

With 100 days until the midterms, a federal appeals court has blocked Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions in 23 states — another major defeat for the administration’s campaign to reshape elections. Polling points to a potential Democratic takeover of the House, while Republicans face a ferocious battle to retain the Senate amid voter frustration over rising costs, the Iran war, and broken promises. Trump heads to Michigan today to tout his economic record, but voters in the critical battleground state remain skeptical.

The people must pay attention. The people must speak out. And the people must vote.

What You Can Do Right Now

Check Your Voter Registration. Visit your state’s election website or Vote.org to confirm your registration and update your address. With 100 days until the midterms, make sure you’re ready to vote.

Contact Your Members of Congress. Tell them you oppose the administration’s attacks on voting rights and demand they protect the integrity of the 2026 midterms.

Talk to Your Neighbors. Many people don’t know about the court rulings blocking the administration’s election restrictions or the stakes of the upcoming midterms. Spread the word.

Support the Fight For the People PAC. Support Democrats at every level who will defend the right to vote, protect healthcare, and build an economy that works for everyone. Join the effort for a better America at Fightforthepeoplepac.com or Democrats.org. Be the voice.

Sources

AP News: “Live updates: US appeals court upholds injunction that blocks Trump’s order to create federal voter list” (July 27, 2026)
Reuters: “US appeals court rules Trump cannot implement mail-in voting order” (July 25, 2026)
Reuters: “Trump to talk up economy in Michigan visit amid voter concerns ahead of congressional races” (July 27, 2026)
The Guardian: “Republicans have ‘nothing to run on’ in midterms after Trump failures, Jeffries says” (July 27, 2026)
China Daily: “GOP stares at difficult path ahead of midterms” (July 27, 2026)
Omaha Daily Record: “House Again Passes Resolution Seeking To Halt Military Action In Iran As Some Republicans Defect” (July 27, 2026)
The Guardian: “Senate to begin voting on Trump intelligence nominee Jay Clayton” (July 27, 2026)
SANA / Axios: “Trump directs US military not to launch new strikes on Iran” (July 26, 2026)
California Department of Justice: “Attorney General Bonta Secures Another Victory Against President Trump’s Second Elections-Related Executive Order” (July 26, 2026)

Written and composed with AI