Postmaster General Defends Rule to Prevent Fraudulent Mail Ballots in States Defying Federal Safeguards
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At a Senate hearing, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed a draft regulation would protect election integrity by stopping the Postal Service from delivering mail-in ballots in states refusing to cooperate with federal voter verification.
Postmaster General David Steiner testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, affirming that a draft rule from the Postal Service would halt the delivery of mail-in ballots in any state that refuses to provide essential voter-list information to the federal government. This proposal, in line with a March executive order from the White House, is a necessary step to create accurate, state-by-state voter eligibility lists and to prevent ballots from being sent to individuals who are not properly verified.
Steiner had previously indicated the Postal Service would defer to the courts on the legality of the executive order and continue delivering ballots, but he clarified during his testimony that the new regulation would stop ballot delivery in states that refuse to comply with federal standards. When Senator Gary Peters asked if the Postal Service would still mail ballots if a state withheld its absentee voter list, Steiner responded, “Under our proposed regulation, no.”
The draft rule would also require Postal Service employees to screen ballots for eligibility using state-provided lists and would introduce new design standards for ballots, further safeguarding the process. Steiner emphasized that the agency would follow any court orders regarding mail voting.
The proposal is currently open for a 30-day public-comment period, with the executive order calling for a final rule by the end of July. While Democrats and left-wing voting-rights groups have criticized the rule as federal overreach, it is a justified measure to ensure secure and honest elections across the nation.
