A SPECIAL LOOK: THE BIG RIG AND MAIL-IN VOTING
WHERE WE STAND
Earlier this month, the Senate adjourned for summer recess without passing the SAVE America Act, Trump's signature voter suppression legislation.
This makes it almost impossible for the SAVE Act to pass in time to make a difference for November's midterms.
But we are not out of the woods yet. Trump is not so easily dissuaded.
Trump is now attempting to hand-pick the perfect MAGA electorate through Executive Order #14399, focusing with laser-like precision on disenfranchising blue-state voters who cast their ballots by mail.
The good news: On Thursday, August 28, Trump's new USPS rules for mail-in ballots were frozen by a district court judge. The administration also asked the district court judge who issued the freeze to reconsider and lift the restriction temporarily, and she refused.
The not-so-good news: The block by the lower court judge was met swiftly by the Trump Administration with an appeal to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. That case is still pending.
BOTTOM LINE: Sit tight. These competing lawsuits must be resolved through the courts before the Trump Administration can implement new rules for mail-in balloting. There is no final resolution on the constitutionality of what Trump is proposing — and there may not be a definitive answer in time for the midterm elections.
As of now, things are proceeding normally in New Jersey, with mail-in ballots dropping on Saturday, September 19. But Trump is injecting a lot of noise and confusion into the system for VBM voters in blue states like ours.
As always, we will keep you posted here.
QUICK VBM VOTING GUIDE for 2026
If you vote by mail, don't worry — we are here to help you navigate the chaos. Here are some simple best practices you can adopt to protect your vote — and your peace of mind — this fall.
• Read the latest statement by New Jersey AG Jennifer Davenport for updates and guidance.
• Check your voter registration status regularly.
• Make sure you are actually signed up for VBMs — sometimes voters confuse the sample ballots for in-person voting with actual mail-in ballots. To access this information, you can create an account at New Jersey's My Voter Information portal.
• When you receive your ballot, complete and return it as quickly as possible. Do not wait until the last minute to fill it out. You can get help with completing your ballot here.
• We recommend putting your completed ballot in an official county ballot drop box or hand-delivering your ballot to your county Board of Elections.
• If that is not feasible, please place your ballot in your mailbox as soon as you've completed it.
• To ensure your ballot gets to your county Board of Elections safely and in a timely fashion, we suggest turning it around immediately — on the same day if possible, but no later than two weeks before Election Day (Tuesday, October 20).
• Make sure you track your ballot at the My Voter Information portal after you turn it in.
• If you don't receive your mail-in ballot by early October (or have problems with your ballot after receiving it), make sure you call your county board of elections to get the problem fixed.
• If all else fails, don't forget that you can always cast a provisional ballot at the polls on Tuesday, November 3. Polls are open from 6 AM until 8 PM.
Please continue to follow The Conversation (our email and online newsletter) and check this website frequently for updates on these and other election-related developments, as well as for further actions you may have to take.