Park Ridge and Niles voters can vote by mail under the same rules as past elections. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked new federal ballot requirements on Monday, Sept. 14.
The vote was 7-2.
The justices denied the Trump administration's emergency request to enforce a U.S. Postal Service rule that would have required states to provide voter lists to the agency and use barcode-equipped envelopes. Ballots that did not comply could have been refused for delivery, Reuters reported.
The court's one-paragraph order stated the government "is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge …" to a lower-court injunction that had already blocked the rule. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred, writing that state and local election officials "do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule" before the Nov. 3 election.
The rule originated from an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March directing the Postal Service to collect voters' names and addresses from state officials and require unique barcodes on ballot envelopes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and attorneys general from 22 other Democratic-led states sued to block it, according to the Los Angeles Times. A second federal judge, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also blocked the rule on Sept. 13, finding it exceeded the Postal Service's authority.
The ruling does not strike down the rule permanently. Lower courts may still consider whether it can take effect for the 2028 elections.
What it means locally
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, whose office manages elections for more than 1.7 million registered voters in suburban Cook County, praised the decision in a statement Sept. 14. Gordon said the ruling provides local election officials and voters with the certainty they need as they prepare for a major election. She added that voting by mail remains a safe, secure and available option for Cook County voters.
Gordon's office is also deploying new Smart Ballot Drop Boxes at all 56 early voting locations across suburban Cook County for the November election. At an Aug. 24 tour of the Election Operations Center with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Gordon encouraged voters returning mail ballots to do so early or use a secure drop box to avoid uncertainty around postmark timing.
Key dates for Park Ridge voters
According to the city's election page:
- Oct. 18: Last day to register to vote online.
- Oct. 19 – Nov. 2: Early voting at the Centennial Activity Center, 100 S. Western Ave.
- Oct. 29: Last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot.
- Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mail ballots must be postmarked by this date.
Niles voters can find their early voting location and mail-ballot deadlines through the Cook County Clerk's office.
