Trump Pushes New USPS Mail-In Voting Rules as Ballots Go Out

The White House has returned to the Supreme Court seeking to activate USPS requirements blocked by a federal judge as North Carolina begins mailing ballots for the November elections.

The Trump administration has again asked the Supreme Court to allow new USPS mail-in voting rules to take effect as the November election process gets underway.

The Supreme Court has set a September 9 deadline for responses to the administration’s new request.

• Why it matters: The changes would affect how states prepare and mail millions of ballots at a time when election officials are already following established calendars and procedures.

New USPS Rules Would Require More Checks Before Ballots Are Mailed

The USPS regulation requires envelopes used to send and return ballots to meet specific standards and undergo Postal Service review.

It also establishes unique barcodes, known as Intelligent Mail Barcodes, and requirements involving a federal platform that manages information associated with ballot delivery.

• What’s changing: Election officials would have to adapt envelopes, technology systems, and voter data before submitting certain mailings to the USPS.

The administration argues that the measures are intended to establish uniform standards, improve election mail tracking, and reduce the risk of fraud.

The rules stem from an executive order Trump signed on March 31 directing the USPS to begin a regulatory process governing the handling of mail-in election ballots.

Judge Warns That Implementing USPS Rules Now Could Affect Voting

Federal Judge Indira Talwani has preliminarily blocked the mandatory provisions for elections held through November 3.

Her ruling states that election officials described uploading the required information and adapting systems not currently equipped to incorporate certain barcodes as an enormous task.

The court also noted that election budgets, procedures, and training are already largely established, while thousands of jurisdictions would have to adjust to the new requirements.

• The risk: Talwani concluded that implementing the rules less than 70 days before the elections could prevent millions of citizens from voting by mail.

The judge added that the record presented to the court contains no evidence of mail-in voting fraud that would justify rapidly implementing the new provisions.

The dispute also raises a question of authority: How far can the federal executive branch go in advancing postal requirements affecting elections administered primarily by the states?

Ballots Are Already Going Out as Supreme Court Considers Request

The election calendar is already underway. On September 4, North Carolina became the first state to begin mailing ballots to voters who requested them.

• What’s next: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has requested that responses to the government’s latest filing be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on September 9.

The Supreme Court has not issued a final decision on whether the rules are legal.

The immediate question is whether the rules should take effect while litigation continues, with that decision coming after the November election process has already begun.

You may be interested in: Latino vote pressures Republican majority: 12 districts could tip the House

SOURCE: EFE / North Carolina State of Elections / Justia docs