The Trump administration has again asked the Supreme Court to intervene in its effort to restrict mail ballots before the Nov. 3 midterms, two days after U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani extended an order preventing the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing President Trump's executive order for the November elections. Solicitor General John Sauer said ballots were already being mailed in North Carolina, with Alabama scheduled to begin on September 9 and at least five other states during the week of September 13. The administration argues that once envelopes enter the mailstream they cannot be retrieved, while the injunction makes preparations for compliance voluntary and could create confusion. This is the administration's third request for Supreme Court intervention. The justices have allowed the plan to proceed but have not ruled on whether it is lawful. The dispute could affect elections in which control of Congress is at stake; nearly one-third of U.S. voters cast ballots by mail. Democratic states and voting rights groups say the changes are unconstitutional. State and local election officials say they lack enough time to modify systems for requirements including unique barcodes and an online portal listing mail voters' names, addresses and individualized barcodes. Officials also told courts that ballot envelopes had already been ordered and printed. The administration describes the measures as commonsense rules within its authority over the mail and is seeking an immediate administrative stay followed by a full stay pending further review. President Trump has long sought to limit mail voting, despite often using it himself, and has falsely blamed mail ballots for his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden by promoting baseless fraud claims. He has so far been unable to change the longstanding voting procedure.