ELECTIONS
USPS issues rule requiring states to provide voter lists before ballots are mailed
The U.S. Postal Service has published a final rule requiring states to upload voter lists and ballot-tracking data before using USPS to deliver mail ballots, but federal court injunctions in California and Massachusetts are blocking the rule as the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow it.
The U.S. Postal Service has published a final rule requiring states to upload voter lists and ballot-tracking data before using USPS to deliver mail ballots, but federal court injunctions in California and Massachusetts are blocking the rule as the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow it.
What This is
- USPS announced new election-mail rules that require states to submit voter information through a federal portal before ballots are mailed.
- The rule calls for detailed voter lists, including names, addresses, and tracking barcodes tied to ballots.
- The rule would let USPS refuse to deliver some mail ballots from states it says do not comply.
- USPS says it will not check whether a person is eligible to vote, even though it would receive voter data.
- A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking the USPS rule from taking effect.
- The court said the administration likely lacked legal authority to impose these election rules on states, and the injunctions are limited to the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Why This Matters
- It affects who controls election administration: states or federal agencies tied to the White House.
- It could change how easily people can vote by mail, especially voters who depend on it because of age, disability, work schedules, or distance.
- It raises privacy questions about building and sharing large voter databases and tracking ballot mail at scale.
- The court fight will shape how far a president can go using executive orders and agency rules to change election practices.