Senate Democrats Urge USPS to Abandon New Mail-In Ballot Rules

A group of Democratic senators has formally requested that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) stop implementing new regulations for mail-in voting, arguing the measures threaten the integrity of the upcoming congressional elections. The lawmakers, led by Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, sent a letter to the postal service on Friday expressing concern that the rules could prevent eligible citizens from casting their ballots.

The senators, who sit on the committee that oversees the USPS, stated that the agency's actions risk undermining public confidence in the electoral process. They referenced a whistleblower warning that the planned verification systems could overwhelm the absentee ballot system and disenfranchise millions of voters.

The dispute centers on a USPS regulation that would require states to provide the agency with lists of mail ballot recipients. It would also mandate the use of specific envelopes with unique barcodes for sending and returning ballots. Under the rule, the postal service could refuse to process ballots that do not meet these new standards or that are linked to voters not appearing on the provided lists.

This effort follows an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump in March, which aimed to restrict mail-in voting. The Trump administration has filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court to allow the USPS to enforce the rule, after a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking it.

Critics of the regulation argue that it could disrupt thousands of legitimate votes as the November 3 election approaches. They also note that the restrictions could disproportionately affect Democratic voters, who have historically been more likely to vote by mail. The USPS has not yet issued a public response to the senators' letter.