USPS postmaster says new rule could withhold mail ballots unless states share voter lists

Postmaster General David Steiner told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that a proposed regulation would require states to submit a manifest of voters who have requested mail-in or absentee ballots at least 30 days before ballots are mailed. He said the Postal Service would refuse to deliver ballots to states that do not provide the list.

The proposal stems from an executive order issued in March 2026 that calls for the Postal Service to send ballots only to voters on lists created and controlled by the federal government. If adopted, the rule would effectively make a federal registration list for absentee voters.

Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the committee’s ranking member, said the rule would "coerce" states into handing over voter data and warned that it could prevent voters in states that rely on mail voting, such as Oregon, from receiving ballots. He called the approach "unacceptable."

Senator Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.) urged Steiner to withdraw the rule, describing it as "blatantly illegal" and designed to reduce voter participation. Steiner replied that the Postal Service would comply if a court blocks the proposal.

The Postal Service previously stated that it does not administer elections or set election rules. Steiner defended the new rule as an implementation of "Kit 600," a set of best practices for mailing election documents, though critics say it goes beyond advisory guidance. Several federal courts are currently hearing challenges to the executive order and the USPS regulation.