Gov. Josh Shapiro joins 23 states and D.C. in lawsuit against USPS mail-ballot rule
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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has joined a coalition of 23 states and Washington, D.C. in filing a federal suit challenging a new U.S. Postal Service rule that adds federal requirements to mail-in voting ahead of the November midterms.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he is joining attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service over a recently finalized rule governing mail-in ballots. The rule, titled "Ballot Mail for Federal Elections," requires election officials to submit recipient information and ballot-envelope designs to a USPS portal for approval, and mandates the use of trackable barcodes on mail-in ballots.
The states argue that the rule improperly expands the Postal Service's role in elections, forces officials to adopt new procedures and share voter data, and bypasses congressional authority over election regulations. In a 53-page complaint, they contend that Congress, not the president or the Postal Service, has the power to set election rules and that the Postal Service failed to follow required review processes for nationwide operational changes.
The coalition seeks a court order to block the rule while the case proceeds and ultimately have it invalidated. Their filing follows a recent Supreme Court decision that stayed an earlier injunction against parts of the Trump administration's mail-voting executive order, citing procedural timing issues rather than the merits of the states' claims.
"I’m suing the Trump Administration to stop their unconstitutional attempt to change the rules and restrict mail-in voting," Shapiro wrote on X, adding that he will continue to protect what he described as Pennsylvania’s free, fair, safe and secure elections.
The White House issued a statement defending the administration’s position, asserting that the Supreme Court ruling was a win for election security and that the administration would continue to enact its agenda.
The Postal Service did not provide comment before publication.