The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) finalized new regulations on Friday night that would change requirements for handling mail ballots ahead of the November midterm elections. The implementation of these rules depends on whether the Supreme Court allows an executive order from President Donald Trump to proceed. The presidential directive, which seeks to restrict mail voting, is currently blocked by a federal judge in Boston.
The new USPS guidelines were released approximately two weeks before several states are scheduled to begin mailing ballots to voters. The regulation requires states to submit voter lists to the Postal Service to ensure ballot delivery. However, a federal injunction currently prevents the agency from enacting procedural changes before the upcoming elections. The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn this injunction, though the court has not yet issued a ruling.
Lawyers representing Democratic-run states and civil rights groups have filed lawsuits to stop the order, arguing that the U.S. Constitution gives the authority to regulate elections to states or Congress rather than the president. The executive order directs the federal government to compile a list of eligible voters and stipulates that mail ballots should only be sent to individuals on that list. The USPS declined to comment on the specific rule, citing the ongoing litigation.
The scale of the federal involvement in the midterm elections includes the deployment of approximately 1,000 Department of Justice (DOJ) monitors. Harmeet Dhillon, a top official in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, stated that these monitors will be sent to various locations across the country. The deployment is intended to oversee areas with potential disability-access concerns, language barriers, or what the department identifies as potential voter fraud issues. This represents the largest contingent of election monitors the department has prepared to deploy.
For the average voter, these changes could mean a difference in how they receive their ballot or whether they are required to be on a specific federal list to qualify for mail-in voting. If the Supreme Court permits the changes, voters in states that do not comply with the federal requirements might face delays or changes in ballot delivery procedures. The final determination rests with the Supreme Court, which must decide on the administration's appeal as the November 3 election date approaches and state-level mailing deadlines begin.