A federal judge in Boston on Thursday ruled that Democrat-led states can move forward with challenges to President Donald Trump's executive order that looks to restrict mail-in ballots ahead of the midterms.

Democrats have claimed the executive order is an unconstitutional interference in state power to regulate elections and accused the president of trying to "rewrite election rules for his own perceived partisan advantage."

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, noted that Trump's executive order could affect the November elections and therefore the challenges needed to be reviewed quickly to limit its impact. 

“In light of the EO’s specific deadlines over the next three months, and the reality that elections will be occurring throughout this period with the November 3, 2026 midterm occurring in just five months, postponing judicial review is impracticable and may inflict significant hardship on Plaintiffs,” Talwani wrote in a 17-page order.

The executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, to compile lists of eligible voters nationwide and seeks to block the U.S. Postal Service from delivering absentee ballots to voters not on state-approved rolls. 

The order also calls for mail-in ballot envelopes with unique tracking barcodes and threatens to withhold federal funding from states and localities that refuse to comply.

The Trump administration asked Talwani to dismiss the challenges, which she denied, but the judge noted that it would be premature for states to challenge anything beyond the midterm elections. 

“The Trump Administration will continue to fight for the agenda the President was elected on – which includes the safety and security of our nation’s elections,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Hill. “This very campaign pledge from the President is why millions of Americans sent him back to the White House. 

"Election security is common sense, and Democrats owe it to the American people to support the President’s mission to secure our elections," she added.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.