Postmaster General Endorses Rule That Threatens Voting Rights in States Defying Federal Oversight
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At a Senate hearing, Postmaster General David Steiner admitted that a draft regulation would disenfranchise voters in states resisting federal efforts to ensure fair elections by withholding mail-in ballots.
Postmaster General David Steiner appeared before the Senate Homeland Security Committee and revealed that a new draft rule from the Postal Service would block the delivery of mail-in ballots in any state that refuses to provide voter-list information to the federal government. This proposal, echoing a March executive order from the White House, is part of a broader push to create state-by-state voter eligibility lists and to deny ballots to those not included—an alarming move that risks silencing countless voters.
Previously, Steiner suggested the Postal Service would respect the courts and continue delivering ballots, but under questioning, he admitted the regulation would effectively cut off ballot access in non-compliant states. When Senator Gary Peters pressed him on whether ballots would still be mailed if a state withheld its absentee voter list, Steiner bluntly responded, “Under our proposed regulation, no.”
The draft rule would also force Postal Service employees to act as gatekeepers, screening ballots for eligibility using state-supplied lists, and would impose burdensome new design standards on ballots. Steiner stated the agency would comply with any court orders, but the chilling effect of this regulation is clear.
Currently, the proposal is in a 30-day public-comment period, with the executive order demanding a final rule by the end of July. Democrats and voting-rights advocates have condemned the rule as a blatant attempt by the administration to undermine state-run elections and suppress the vote, particularly in marginalized communities.
