Postmaster General plans to hold back mail-in ballots from states that refuse to turn over voter rolls

The US Postal Service General said Wednesday that states refusing to comply with a presidential order requiring the submission of voter information could have their mail-in ballots halted.

During a Senate hearing testimony, Postmaster General David Steiner defended the administration’s position, saying the US Postal Service was not being politicized and that compliance with the proposed requirements would determine whether ballots are processed.

Senator Gary Peters questioned Steiner, saying, “If a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposed rule?” 

Under our proposed regulation, no,” Steiner replied. “We would tell the state that we need the manifest."

The plan stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump titled "Ensuring Citizen Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections," which directs federal agencies to coordinate on verifying lists of eligible US citizens for mail-in voting. The order instructs the USPS to only send absentee ballots to voters included on those approved lists, and calls for expanded ballot tracking requirements.

The policy would also condition federal funding on state compliance. Under the directive, states would be required to provide the federal government with lists of anticipated voters.

Several Democratic-led states and voting rights groups pushed back on the measure, filing lawsuits. A federal judge recently allowed a legal challenge to proceed, with plaintiffs arguing the policy is “plainly unconstitutional,” according to a report by Newsweek.