USPS Begins Mail Ballot Tracking System as Trump Presses Anti-Mail Voting Order Before 2026 Midterms
Updated
Updated · Democracy Docket · Jun 18
USPS Begins Mail Ballot Tracking System as Trump Presses Anti-Mail Voting Order Before 2026 Midterms
3 articles · Updated · Democracy Docket · Jun 18
Summary
A federal court filing on Thursday said USPS has started creating a new records system tied to mail-in and absentee ballots, advancing President Donald Trump’s March executive order despite ongoing lawsuits.
The system would support a proposed USPS rule requiring states to send voter-request data for federal-election mail ballots, giving the agency a formal basis to collect and maintain those records.
USPS has sent advance notice to two congressional committees and the Office of Management and Budget, and will next publish the notice in the Federal Register; the system takes effect only if the rule is finalized.
The filing landed the same day the administration said DHS is on track to deliver citizenship-list infrastructure to states by June 30, showing both major pieces of Trump’s election order are still moving ahead.
Democratic groups, state officials, the NAACP and the American Postal Workers Union argue the effort is unconstitutional, conflicts with a 2021 election-mail settlement through 2028, and could disenfranchise voters in the 2026 midterms.
Can local election offices implement these complex federal rules before November?
How will federal citizenship lists be kept accurate for new voters?
What happens if a state's voter list and the new federal list disagree?
Trump’s 2026 Mail-In Voting Crackdown: Legal, Operational, and Privacy Risks Ahead of the Midterms
Overview
On March 31, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for tighter rules on mail-in voting, citing his ongoing claims of voter fraud and emphasizing election security as a key campaign promise. This order quickly sparked intense legal scrutiny, leading to a major showdown in federal courts ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Postmaster General was directed to start a rulemaking process, resulting in a USPS proposal to create lists of mail-in and absentee voters. These actions highlight the administration’s push for stricter voting measures and the resulting legal and operational challenges for the upcoming elections.