DOJ asks Massachusetts judge to lift nationwide injunction on mail-in ballot restrictions, seeking full enforcement ahead of November

The Justice Department asked a federal judge in Massachusetts on Monday to lift a nationwide injunction that has blocked enforcement of mail-in voting restrictions, according to a report by The Hill. The filing sought immediate permission to proceed with the restrictions before the November midterm elections.

In its request, the department argued that a separate Supreme Court ruling in litigation involving President Donald Trump’s executive order left “no room for further dispute,” the report said. The filing therefore urged the judge to reconsider the injunction and allow enforcement of the challenged mail ballot requirements across the country.

The case is being heard in federal court in Massachusetts, where the nationwide block has applied to the mail-in provisions at issue. The department’s motion framed the injunction as an obstacle to implementing the restrictions during an election cycle, according to the account of the late-night submission.

The request comes as states and election administrators prepare for expanded use of mail voting, and as courts continue to manage the timing and scope of remedies when voting rules are challenged. In this instance, the Justice Department is asking for a change not just to the remedy, but to the geographic breadth of the relief, moving from a nationwide pause to no pause at all.

Opponents of the restrictions have previously argued that limiting mail-in voting can affect voter access and election administration, but the motion described in the report centered on the department’s view that higher-court guidance resolves key legal questions. The report did not indicate that the judge had ruled on the request by publication time.

If the judge grants the request, the mail-in voting restrictions that are currently covered by the nationwide block would become enforceable nationwide, potentially requiring election officials to adjust procedures for voters and ballots. If the judge denies the request, the injunction would remain in place and the restrictions would continue to be stayed in the jurisdictions covered by the order.