Full Breakdown
Democratic Governors Urge USPS to Withdraw Rule Implementing Trump’s Voter-Eligibility Order
7/3/2026, 6:33:31 AM
Governors Request Rule Withdrawal
On July 2, nine Democratic governors—Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin—sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service urging it to withdraw a proposed rule. The rule would implement President Donald Trump’s March executive order directing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Social Security Administration to create a “citizenship list” and limit mailed ballots to voters on that list.
Legal Background & Timeline
President Trump signed the order in March 2024. A federal judge blocked it as unconstitutional, ruling only states and Congress may set election rules. Nonetheless, USPS filed the rule in the Federal Register in May. The governors’ July 2 letter cites the ruling and asks the agency to withdraw the rule. The judge did not block the rule, noting the administration had not yet acted.
Mail-Voting Fraud Data
A 2025 Brookings study found mail-voting fraud extremely rare—about four cases per 10 million ballots. State and local investigations similarly show non-citizen voting is uncommon.
Implications
If enacted, the rule would give USPS unilateral power to refuse ballot delivery in non-cooperating states, disenfranchising millions and moving election administration from states to the federal executive. Critics say this undermines the constitutional role of states; supporters claim it protects election integrity.
Official Responses
The governors argue the rule would erode trust in elections, complicate voting, and disenfranchise millions. The American Postal Workers Union emphasized that its members’ job is to deliver mail, not verify voter eligibility. The USPS has not responded publicly.
Opposition
Governors and civil-rights groups argue the rule violates constitutional authority, threatens voter access, and targets non-citizen voting, a practice shown to be rare. They also note mail-in voting fraud is statistically negligible.
Key Quotes
- “Far from ensuring integrity in federal elections, the Proposed Rule would undermine trust in elections, needlessly complicate voting processes, arbitrarily disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, and undermine states' constitutional role in ensuring free and fair elections.” — Democratic governors (letter)
- “Unilateral power to refuse to deliver their ballots if a state refuses to collaborate with President Trump's unlawful directives.” — Democratic governors (letter)
- “Our job is not to verify voter eligibility; it’s to move mail from one destination to the next.” — Jonathan Smith, President, American Postal Workers Union
- “There were about four cases of mail-voting fraud per 10 million mail ballots.” — Brookings Institution, 2025 report
Future Outlook
The civil-rights groups that sued to block the order have appealed the judge’s ruling, and USPS is expected to reconsider the rule. Ongoing litigation may shape the future of federal involvement in ballot-mailing.
