A U.S. appeals court upheld a block on President Donald Trump’s plan to create a federal list of eligible voters and restrict mail-in ballots to people on that list. Judges of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the administration’s effort to move forward in 23 states that sued, following an earlier ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani that halted implementation for the Nov. 3 elections in the states involved. The decision centers on whether election rules fall under state and congressional authority rather than executive action. The Justice Department said it is reviewing options and remains confident the order will ultimately be upheld, while state election officials argued the proposal was unconstitutional and could create operational chaos. Higher education institutions can see second-order effects through campus voting operations and student access to ballots, especially where public universities provide voter-registration support and education. The litigation also underscores how quickly election-policy changes can be constrained by the courts ahead of major election cycles.