USPS Begins Postal Voting Rule Changes After Trump Order
The Postal Service began fleshing out plans on May 29 to comply with President Donald Trump’s March 31 order on postal voting, a step that could affect how absentee ballots are handled for voters in states that do not submit requested lists for federal approval. The move came one day after a federal judge declined to block the order.
Trump’s March 31 Order
Trump’s order calls for federally managed lists of citizens the administration deems eligible to vote and directs the Postal Service to send absentee ballots only to voters on state lists that have been submitted for federal approval. Election experts have said the measures are unlawful because states and Congress have the sole constitutional authority to administer elections.
The American Postal Workers Union said it was “deeply alarmed” and called the rule an “unconstitutional attack on the millions of Americans who vote by mail.” The union also said it “rejects the premise” that the Postal Service needs to comply with Trump’s order. In its statement, the APWU said, “The Executive Order also ignores the fundamental purpose of the Postal Service and postal workers, which is to provide universal service to all” and added, “The Postal Service serves all Americans – regardless of party, religion, or race; it is not a tool for politicians to pick which Americans get which benefits.”
NAACP Lawsuit
The legal fight widened on Thursday when the NAACP sued the Postal Service to stop implementation of the proposed rule. The group said the plan would require state election officials to submit lists of voters who requested absentee ballots for eligibility approval, and it argued that the proposal violates a court-enforced settlement from 2021.
Under that 2021 settlement, the Postal Service agreed to safeguard mail-in voting and prioritize timely ballot delivery through 2028. The new rule sits on top of several other pending lawsuits challenging Trump’s order, including one brought by a coalition of national Democratic Party organizations and another from a group of state attorneys general.
DHS And Ballot Flows
A federal judge in the Democratic Party case declined to block the order before the Postal Service moved ahead. In the separate state attorneys general case, a judge has expressed concerns about the harm the order could impose on voters.
On Friday, a U.S. Justice Department court filing said the Department of Homeland Security is exploring coordination with the Postal Service to monitor mail-in and absentee ballot flows, identify anomalies that may suggest voter fraud or misuse, and generate authorized investigative leads. Election officials in California and Wisconsin have said ballot delivery times have been slower since the Postal Service began making policy changes, adding pressure on voters who rely on mail ballots to track how the new rule develops.
