USPS Officials Raise Concerns Over New Mail Voting Rules Amid Implementation

Top U.S. Postal Service (USPS) officials expressed concerns in internal meetings regarding new mail voting regulations that could delay or block ballots from reaching eligible voters for the upcoming midterms, according to information obtained by ProPublica. Despite these concerns, the rules moved forward. An anonymous federal employee filed a whistleblower disclosure with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, warning that the new system is untested and error-prone, potentially leading to mass disenfranchisement in the upcoming election. The whistleblower described the process as 'secretive, rushed, chaotic, and fundamentally flawed.' In March, President Donald Trump directed the Postal Service to create new rules, which include requiring states to provide USPS with a list of voters eligible for mail-in ballots. USPS officials were tasked with developing the details of the new system, including a portal for states to upload voter information and software for tracking ballots. Voting rights organizations, state officials, and Democratic political groups have filed lawsuits challenging the new rules, with a federal court temporarily blocking the requirements for states. The merits of the new rule are expected to reach the Supreme Court before the November election. Experts suggest that the new system may not be ready in time, as ballots for military personnel and overseas voters must be sent out this month. During discussions about compliance with the executive order, USPS officials focused on minimizing the impact on voters while adhering to the new rules. Concerns were raised about the potential invalidation of entire batches of ballots if one voter's eligibility could not be confirmed. The whistleblower indicated that the directive to reject entire batches if one ballot was unverified moved forward despite these concerns. Election clerks also raised similar issues with USPS officials shortly before the final rule was issued. An example was provided regarding Maricopa County, Arizona, which often sends out over 2 million ballots at a time. USPS officials acknowledged that a single ballot with a bad barcode or incorrect information could delay the entire mailing. The Postal Service has defended its final rule in court, asserting that it does not intend to control election administration and that the rule should not prevent any voter from voting by mail. A USPS spokesperson stated that the agency is reviewing the whistleblower's concerns and has spent months developing its system in accordance with court orders. Lauren Bis, a White House spokesperson, commented that the process of building software for mail ballot checks is not complex for USPS. Senator Blumenthal has requested detailed information about the plan from the postmaster general, expressing concerns that the new USPS rule jeopardizes mail voters and accusing the administration of attempting to alter the voting process for political reasons. Election officials and printing experts have indicated that errors in the system are likely due to the challenges of designing envelopes for scanning and maintaining up-to-date voter information.