The administration went back to the Supreme Court a third time after Judge Indira Talwani extended her injunction. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson set a Wednesday, Sept. 9, deadline for responses. The injunction still stands. Solicitor General John Sauer told the justices that each day of delay risks "confusion and chaos" as states mail ballots. Nearly one-third of all US votes are cast by mail.
Sep. 4 — The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to unblock the Postal Service mail-ballot restrictions, a day before ballots started going out. Jackson gave the challenging states until Tuesday, Sept. 8, to respond.
- North Carolina is already mailing ballots; Alabama starts Sept. 9 and at least five more states the week of Sept. 13.
- Talwani, an Obama appointee, extended her block ahead of the midterms.
- This is the administration's third emergency request to the Supreme Court in this case.