Thurston County voters will cast their November 3 ballots under Washington's existing mail-voting rules after two federal court rulings in four days blocked a Trump administration effort to impose new restrictions.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Thursday, June 25, blocked key parts of President Trump's March 31 executive order that would have required the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to voters on federally compiled citizen lists.

Then on June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold state laws allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they arrive afterward.

Together, the rulings mean Washington's all-mail voting system remains intact for the Tuesday, August 4, primary and the Tuesday, November 3, general election.

Talwani, writing from federal court in Boston, found that Trump's order "unconstitutionally violates the separation of powers." The order had directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile voter eligibility lists for each state and instructed USPS to refuse ballot delivery in states that did not submit their voter rolls 30 days before the election. Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed to Congress on June 24, that USPS would not deliver ballots in non-complying states.

The judge also blocked the order's directive for the Department of Justice to prioritize prosecuting state and local election officials who issue ballots to people deemed ineligible.

The ruling covers 23 states and the District of Columbia that sued. Washington was among the plaintiffs.

Washington law allows ballots to arrive up to 21 days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. In the 2024 general election, more than 250,000 Washington ballots postmarked on time arrived after Election Day. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has warned that rural areas with slower mail delivery would have been hit hardest.

USPS has also changed its postmarking procedures to date mail when it is processed rather than when it is dropped off. Both Hobbs and county auditors have urged voters to submit ballots at least a week before Election Day.

The Trump administration is expected to appeal Talwani's ruling and must file a compliance report with the court by Thursday, July 2. A separate case before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenges a different judge's refusal to block the same order.

Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall, speaking after the Supreme Court's Monday ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee, said she remains wary about the executive order's USPS provisions given the likely appeal.

"Just because a ballot is received after Election Day doesn't mean it wasn't voted prior to Election Day," Hall said.

Hall recommends voters cast ballots as soon as they decide and use official drop boxes rather than traditional mail. All ballots deposited at a designated drop box before 8 p.m. on Election Day will be counted.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the administration "is confident that we will ultimately prevail" in implementing the executive order.