In the months before a midterm election, a federal judge has again extended a block on an executive order that would have reshaped how the U.S. Postal Service processes mail ballots, preserving access for millions of Americans who vote outside the polling booth. The decision reflects a recurring tension in American civic life — between executive authority seeking to redefine the mechanics of democracy and a judiciary tasked with holding the boundaries of that power. Courts have now intervened repeatedly on this question, suggesting that the conflict is less a single legal dispute than an ongoi