A USPS whistleblower told Richard Blumenthal that the U.S. Postal Service's new mail-ballot system could create potentially catastrophic problems. The disclosure became public on Tuesday, as a federal judge had already temporarily blocked the rule and the Justice Department appealed.
Blumenthal and Steiner
Blumenthal said the Postal Service had built an online portal for voter and mail-ballot information, then told reporters, "The main takeaway for me is that the Postal Service has designed a system to disenfranchise millions of Americans". He also said, "One third of all Americans cast their ballots by mail, and the USPS puts all of their votes at risk."
The senator questioned Postmaster General David Steiner about the new system after the Postal Service published a final rule last month. That rule requires state election officials to send the names and addresses of voters receiving mail ballots, along with the unique barcodes on ballot envelopes, through the Federal Ballot Mail Portal.
Postal Service Rule
Once that information is entered, those voters would be considered enrolled with the Postal Service on their state's Mail-In and Absentee Participation List. The Postal Service says it will not play any role in determining voter eligibility, maintaining voter rolls, or counting ballots.
The agency's rule also sets new design standards for outbound and return mail ballot envelopes, including the addition of a unique barcode. Blumenthal's disclosure places the portal at the center of a fight over how the Postal Service handles mail voting before the November midterm elections.
Trump Order and Appeal
In March, Donald Trump signed an executive order and said that "the cheating on mail-in voting is legendary". The whistleblower accused the agency of flouting court rulings by continuing to work on implementing that order before the November midterm elections.
Six states conduct their elections entirely by mail, and four states and the District of Columbia send ballots to all voters. For those systems, the portal would require state election officials to send voter data through a federal process before ballots move through the mail.
The Justice Department's appeal now keeps the rule in active litigation, and the immediate question for election officials is whether the Postal Service can keep building the portal while the court block remains in place.
