Radnor and Haverford township voters can count on the same mail-ballot process they have used in past elections after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump's push to restrict mail-in voting.

The court ruled 7-2 on Monday, Sept. 14, upholding a preliminary injunction against new U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rules stemming from an executive order Trump signed in March 2026. The blocked rules would have required states to submit voter lists to a federal portal and use pre-approved ballot envelopes. Ballots from voters not on the portal list or in non-compliant envelopes would not have been delivered, the Associated Press reported.

Two deadlines matter for local voters: registration closes at midnight Monday, Oct. 19, and mail-in ballot requests are due by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.

What the court said

In a brief order, the court stated the federal government "is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge." The court did not issue a full majority opinion, which is common with emergency orders.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed the restrictions should not take effect for the midterms but wrote that he might side with the administration if the issue returns later. The ruling settles the question for November but does not permanently resolve the constitutional dispute.

Pennsylvania joined 22 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the administration, arguing the order usurped authority the Constitution assigns to states and Congress, WHYY reported.

What state officials said

Lauren Cristella, president of the nonpartisan Committee of Seventy, said at a National Voter Registration Day event on Tuesday, Sept. 15: "The Supreme Court decided that the process you know is the process you'll use. Nothing about how we vote by mail in Pennsylvania, or anywhere else in the country, is changing."

Cristella said the legal fight had created confusion among voters about whether mail ballots would still be accepted.

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said on Sept. 9, before the ruling, that nothing had changed for the coming election. He urged voters returning ballots by mail to allow enough time for their county election office to receive them by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

How to vote by mail

Voters can request a mail-in ballot online, in person at a county elections office or at a satellite elections office. At a satellite office, voters can fill out and return their ballot on the spot. Ballots can also be returned by mail or dropped at an authorized drop box.

Residents who are already registered should confirm that their name, address and polling location are up to date. Registration is available online, through the Department of Motor Vehicles, or at voter registration drives.

Completed mail ballots must reach the county election office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.