Postmaster General Says Proposed Rule Would Block Mail Ballots in Non-Cooperating States

Postmaster General David Steiner told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that a draft rule released by the Postal Service would stop the agency from delivering mail-in ballots in any state that does not supply voter-list information to the federal government. The proposal aligns with a March executive order issued by the White House, which seeks to create state-by-state voter eligibility lists and directs the Postal Service to withhold ballots from individuals not on those lists.

Steiner previously indicated the service would defer to the courts on the legality of the executive order and would continue to deliver ballots. However, during his testimony he said the regulation would effectively halt ballot delivery in non-compliant states. When Senator Gary Peters asked whether the Postal Service would still mail ballots if a state refused to turn over its absentee voter list, Steiner replied, “Under our proposed regulation, no.”

The draft rule also would require Postal Service employees to screen ballots for eligibility using state-provided lists and would impose new design standards on the ballots. Steiner said the agency would follow any court orders governing mail voting.

The proposal is currently in a 30-day public-comment period, and the executive order calls for a final rule by the end of July. Democrats and voting-rights groups have criticized the rule as an attempt by the administration to intervene in state-run elections.