A federal judge in Washington, D.C., declined Thursday to block President Trump's executive order restricting voting by mail, at least for now, leaving the order in effect while legal challenges continue to work through the courts.

D.C. District Court Judge Carl Nichols issued the ruling May 28, finding that challengers had not met the legal bar required to justify a preliminary injunction. The order itself places new restrictions on mail-in voting procedures nationally, though the specific implementation — and what it would mean for individual states — remains a live question as litigation continues.

Montana is a heavily mail-ballot state. Lewis and Clark County, like most Montana counties, conducts elections primarily through mail ballots, and Helena voters routinely return ballots by mail or drop box rather than voting in person. Any federal restrictions on mail voting could intersect with Montana's existing election infrastructure in ways that county election administrators will need to navigate.

The underlying lawsuit is ongoing, and the judge's refusal to block the order is not a ruling on its merits. Legal observers expect the case to continue through the federal courts. Montana's Secretary of State office has not issued guidance on how the executive order would affect the state's election administration.