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Letter withdrawing application 26A297
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General · 2026-09-06
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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of the Solicitor General
Washington, D.C. 20530
September 6, 2026
Honorable Scott S. Harris
Clerk
Supreme Court of the United States
Washington, D.C. 20543
Re: United States Postal Service v. California, No. 26A297
Dear Mr. Harris:
On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the federal government filed in the above-captioned
case an application for a stay of an order issued on August 27, 2026, by the United States District
Court for the District of Massachusetts. Labeled as a 14-day temporary restraining order, but
effectively functioning as a preliminary injunction, that order barred the implementation or
enforcement of several sections of a Postal Service rule regarding the mailing of federal-election
ballots.
On Friday, September 4, 2026, the district court formally issued a preliminary injunction
that was substantively identical to its August 27 order, which it purported to dissolve. The
United States appealed that injunction the same evening, and it filed a motion the next day in the
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to stay the new order pending appeal. Earlier
today, in an abundance of caution, the United States filed in this Court a new application for a
stay of the renewed preliminary injunction. In light of those developments, and to simplify
proceedings, the United States withdraws its September 3 stay application in the above-captioned
case.
Sincerely,
D. John Sauer
Solicitor General
cc: See Attached Service List
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, ET AL.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ET AL.
DONALD J. TRUMP, ET AL.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MASSACHUSETTS, ET AL.
JESSIE J. ROSSMAN
SUZANNE SCHLOSSBERG
ACLU OF MA
1 CENTER PLAZA
SUITE 850
BOSTON, MA 02108
617-482-3170
(F) 617-451-0009
JROSSMAN@ACLUM.ORG
SSCHLOSSBERG@ACLUM.ORG
DAVIN MCKAY ROSBOROUGH
SOPHIA LIN LAKIN
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION
125 BROAD STREET
18TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10004-0000
212-549-2500
(F) 332-234-9285
DROSBOROUGH@ACLU.ORG
ELIZA SWEREN-BECKER
BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE
NYU SCHOOL OF LAW
120 BROADWAY
SUITE 1750
NEW YORK, NY 10271
917-597-9040
(F) 212-463-7308
SWEREN-BECKERE@BRENNAN.LAW.NYU.EDU
SLAKIN@ACLU.ORG
LOUIS JOSEPH CAPOZZI, III
OFFICE OF THE MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL
SOLICITOR GENERAL
815 OLIVE STREET
SUITE 200
ST. LOUIS, MO 63101
717-802-2077
LOUIS.CAPOZZI@AGO.MO.GOV
BENJAMIN GILBERG
OFFICE OF THE MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL
815 OLIVE STREET
ST. LOUIS, MO 63101
551-265-6510
BENJAMIN.GILBERT@AGO.MO.GOV
JOHN MICHAEL PATTON
OFFICE OF THE MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL
615 E. 13TH STREET
SUITE 401
KANSAS CITY, MO 64106
816-889-2250
MICHAEL.PATTON@AGO.MO.GOV
KEVIN LEE QUADE
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
CIVIL DIVISION/GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION
1300 I STREET
SUITE 1101
SACRAMENTO, CA 94244-2550
916-322-5272
KEVIN.QUADE@DOJ.CA.GOV
ANNE P. BELLOWS
IAN FEIN
LISA CATHERINE EHRLICH
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
455 GOLDEN GATE AVENUE
SUITE 11000
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415-510-3847
415-510-3466
(F) 415-703-5843
ANNE.BELLOWS@DOJ.CA.GOV
IAN.FEIN@DOJ.CA.GOV
LISA.EHRLICH@DOJ.CA.GOV
MICHAEL SURREN COHEN
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
1300 I STREET
SUITE 125
PO BOX 944255
SACRAMENTO, CA 94244
916-210-6090
MICHAEL.COHEN@DOJ.CA.GOV
MALCOLM ANDREAS BRUDIGAM
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
GOVERNMENT LAW SECTION
1300 I STREET
16TH FLOOR
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814
916-510-7873
MALCOLM.BRUDIGAM@DOJ.CA.GOV
ROBERT WILLIAM SETRAKIAN
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
CIVIL DIVISION
300 S. SPRNG STREET
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
213-269-6668
WILLIAM.SETRAKIAN@DOJ.CA.GOV
KARL D. SMITH, I
CRISTINA SEPE
TERA M. HEINTZ
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SOLICITOR GENERAL’S OFFICE
PO BOX 40100
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360-664-2510
360-753-7085
360-664-3027
KARL.SMITH@ATG.WA.GOV
CRISTINE.SEPE@ATG.WA.GOV
TERA.HEINTZ@ATG.WA.GOV
KIEL IRELAND
NEVADA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
1 STATE OF NEVADA WAY
SUITE 100
LAS VEGAS, NV 89119
702-486-3420
KIRELAND@AG.NV.GOV
VANESSA AZNIV ARSLANIAN
JARED B. COHEN
MICHAEL P. MOORE
OFFICE OF MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL
MCCORMACK BUILDING
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PAT.MOORE@MASS.GOV