Federal Rule Could Restrict Mail-In Ballot Delivery

President Donald Trump’s March 2026 executive order directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to require every state to submit a list of voters who will receive mail-in ballots. A USPS draft rule released May 29 2026 would create a federal portal for those lists, impose barcode standards on ballot envelopes, and refuse delivery of ballots from jurisdictions that do not comply. The order also tasks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with building state-by-state citizenship lists from federal databases.

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Twenty-three Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have sued to block the rule, and the Justice Department has sued 30 states for voter data. The NAACP, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), and the League of Women Voters have filed separate motions. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols declined a preliminary injunction, citing “unanswered questions” about implementation; other courts have not yet ruled.

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The rule would affect all states with universal mail voting, potentially millions of ballots. About 30 % of voters used mail ballots in the 2024 election, including roughly one-fourth of Republican voters. Twenty-three states plus D.C. are suing; the Justice Department has sued 30 states for voter data.

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The White House says the order will ensure election safety and that implementation by November was the intent when signed. DHS says it is “lawfully implementing” the order to restore integrity, while USPS describes the proposal as a logistical response, not election regulation.

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APWU calls the order an unconstitutional attack on mail voters; the League of Women Voters says no president can rewrite election rules. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read warned the rule would deny eligible voters, and the National Association of Letter Carriers warned non-compliant states could see ballots refused.

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Judge Nichols declined to block the order because implementation steps remain unclear; DHS has not explained how citizenship lists will be shared with USPS, and funding for the expanded mission is undisclosed.

Democracy Docket

• “If proper postage is paid on a mail piece, the USPS should deliver it,” — Anton Hajjar, former USPS Board of Governors Vice Chair

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• “This would deny eligible people the right to vote. Full stop,” — Tobias Read, Oregon Secretary of State

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• “The real problem is, to my knowledge, this portal doesn’t exist yet,” — Jeff Ellington, Runbeck Election Services

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• “That’s not a thing that the Post Office has the authority to do.” — Justin Levitt, election-law professor

Trump’s USPS Ballot Push Challenges Local Election Preparations

The public comment period ends July 2, after which USPS may issue a final rule. DHS aims to release state citizenship data by June 30. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals and other federal courts are expected to issue rulings this summer, determining whether the rule can take effect before the November midterms.

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