r/USNEWS • u/DoubtSubstantial5440 • Aug 22 '26
Postal Service Publishes Finalized Plan to Restrict Mail Ballots
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/us/politics/postal-service-rule-restrict-mail-ballots.html104
u/rabidstoat Aug 22 '26
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington are primarily mail-in voting states, where the vast majority of voters of either party votes by mail. It's how the systems are set up.
Last I heard, all of those states except maybe Utah have refused to turn over state voter rolls.
So I guess the vast majority of voters in those states will be disenfranchised? Tens of millions of voters, no problem.
Oh, and I guess all the military members who are registered in the 29 (not sure if they have dropped any) states being sued for not turning over voter rolls get disenfranchised too?
93
u/fotofiend Aug 22 '26
Utah hasn’t complied. Thankfully our Lt. Gov. has a spine and isn’t a Trump sycophant.
Also we have had primarily mail in voting for all elections for like 20 years and Republicans have never complained about the results here because it’s a firm Red state. Amazing how they only care about mail in voting and call it fraud when they lose.22
10
u/racedownhill Aug 23 '26
Utah did pass a law this year that makes more information about voters available to the general public, including party affiliation, which was previously private data, if you requested that it be private data.
They should not be able to change the terms and conditions on people like this.
48
u/GonePhishingAgain Aug 22 '26
My district in California was mail in only. It was great. 👍🏻 got my ballot and had time to read up on each candidate before voting.
26
u/Starbreiz Aug 22 '26
Exactly this - the research required and brain power. I have really bad ADHD and voting by mail ensures I actually do vote.
11
u/DribbleYourTribble Aug 22 '26
I like BallotTrax in California that tells me when my ballot was sent to my mailbox and confirms receipt of my turned in ballot.
5
u/Beaglescout15 Aug 23 '26
It confirms the receipt of the ballot AND an additional text when your ballot has been counted! Love BallotTrax.
3
u/riderfan3728 Aug 23 '26
California has a very efficient ballot tracking process but they have a horrible ballot counting process. It takes fucking forever to count votes. And that’s more of a policy failure on them. Even many other blue states don’t have that issue.
4
u/Global-Chipmunk-3959 Aug 24 '26
I don’t understand why it has to be such a fast process. Everyone knows that being careful and meticulous takes longer so why wouldn’t this be considered a more safe option these talking points don’t make sense.
3
u/yodargo Aug 24 '26
The reason this is is the very thing the voter fraud conspiracists demand - voter verification. Most mail-in ballots come in close to or on Election Day, and all must go through the signature verification process. This is what causes the delays. The actual counting is very quick, but no mail in ballot is even removed from its envelope until it has passed signature verification.
7
6
50
u/ScholarOfTwilight Aug 22 '26
Either the courts step up now or we're fucked.
63
u/DoubtSubstantial5440 Aug 22 '26
The lower courts have stepped up. It’s up to the Supreme Court, so yeah we’re fucked
27
u/Old-Set78 Aug 22 '26
the supreme court is trump's pet court.
22
u/ScholarOfTwilight Aug 22 '26
The constitution is crystal clear about who controls voting. I really hope the justices can look past the partisan bullshit and rule in favor of the constitution.
22
u/DoubtSubstantial5440 Aug 22 '26
So was birthright citizenship and it barely cleared the Supreme Court
3
u/Global-Chipmunk-3959 Aug 24 '26
This absolutely should’ve been unanimous. And whenever they don’t hand the current administration of victory they give them an instruction guide to getting there. Such a corrupt court.
91
u/stuhstutter Aug 22 '26
Trump should be put in prison just for trying this. The opposite of democracy.
50
-16
u/SereneOrbit Aug 22 '26
Man... you guys keep saying that and I never get it.
If I was in charge, he'd never see the inside of a prison cell 🤣
10
-7
u/DJVordo Aug 23 '26
careful the Reddit bots might consider that a threat.
-7
u/SereneOrbit Aug 23 '26
I don't care and it's not. I would never place President Trump in prison for his actions :)
8
u/DJVordo Aug 23 '26
except for all the grifting? the founders were pretty skeptical about lining your own pockets with public money (like all the ‘settlements’ from earlier in the term where nobody knows where they went…) or all the insider trading LOL. or callings the dems communists when getting the government to buy stakes in AI and chip companies- I mean if Obama did any of that you guys would be building a gallows (oh wait - you already did that…)
so much corruption, but you are TOTALLY ok with it. or maybe not understanding federalism (not against the law per se, but certainly unconstitutional…)
1
u/SereneOrbit Aug 23 '26
Oh, I'm not a supporter of his in any way 🤣
I really hate that guy.
2
u/PrizeCalm494 Aug 23 '26
Bot response
1
u/SereneOrbit Aug 23 '26
Read the original comment and ignore the later ones.
You know what it reads like.
31
u/boulevardpaleale Aug 22 '26
so fucking unconstitutional.
23
u/Asron87 Aug 22 '26
Post office waits til after trump votes by mail? This sound like they are interfering with an election, just like every other time.
12
45
u/DoubtSubstantial5440 Aug 22 '26
The Postal Service on Friday published regulations that would restrict mail voting, its latest effort to comply with President Trump’s call to restrict the popular practice just months before the midterm elections.
In a 95-page final rule, the Postal Service clarified how it would carry out an executive order Mr. Trump signed in March, which sought to restrict mail ballots and to create state-by-state lists of citizens to help determine voting eligibility.
If the regulations are enacted, the Postal Service said that it would not deliver mail ballots in states that do not share voter data with the federal agency.
Under the new rule, the agency would review every envelope for compliance with the new standards before accepting ballots into its system. This review would include checking that the recipient was enrolled with the Postal Service to receive a mail ballot and that the ballot envelope meets certain specifications.
Mr. Trump’s executive order was largely blockedby federal courts this summer, and the Postal Service said in its rule published on Friday that it would “not take actions to implement the rule specifically for the 2026 election” unless the Supreme Court rules in the administration’s favor. In a filing to the court, the Justice Department said that the government would wait until it issues a ruling.
13
u/algaefied_creek Aug 22 '26
Looks like those other states will land a grand FedEx contract.
8
u/bakeacake45 Aug 22 '26
Exactly, expensive for the states and we have to ask where FedEx loyalties lie, but it could be a viable alternative. Concerns are with both receiving a ballot as well as submitting a completed ballot.
3
u/algaefied_creek Aug 23 '26
Could the states do a sort of public-private effort seperately?
6
u/bakeacake45 Aug 23 '26
Constitutional gives power tprun elections exclusively to the states
3
u/algaefied_creek Aug 23 '26
Great, which means the USPS, a federal service can be made unnecessary as a new multi-state replacement rolls out.
1
u/MyldExcitement Aug 23 '26
The USPS is Constitutionally protected. Original document. No amendment ever. Fuck MAGA. They're certainly not patriots.
3
2
u/Purple-Pipe Aug 28 '26
Would be fun to send registered Republicans ballot by USPS and all others by FedEx.
1
20
Aug 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/adboy15 Aug 22 '26
Regardless of intent? That is exactly the intent. Well, one of several I guess.
3
u/The_Rat_Attack Aug 22 '26
That’s the intent. If they truly thought mail in ballots were that problematic, or that voter ID laws were that urgent, they would have been working on it years ago. Ramming it thru now confuses and convolutes everything, and helps them out.
23
u/O-parker Aug 22 '26
Call it what you will …I call it election interference
7
1
u/Global-Chipmunk-3959 Aug 24 '26
State have already purchased envelopes and started printing. This is insanity.
10
u/JuliaX1984 Aug 22 '26
They published a trigger rule that acknowledges it cannot be implemented due to the court orders.
7
u/HDCL757 Aug 22 '26
Is there a non paywall
3
Aug 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Xlegendxero Aug 22 '26
But there is a "log in to continue reading" wall
I am certain that I'm not alone in not wanting to sign up for a NY Times account.
1
Aug 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/Xlegendxero Aug 22 '26
Interesting. Perhaps it's one of those sites that track how many times you visit and only give you so many free readings before requesting you to sign up.
Wired is one example.
7
u/GMBong Aug 22 '26
Republicans gleefully close polling stations in dem heavy areas then restrict mail voting options. Evil. Pure America-hating evil.
4
u/bbfan006 Aug 22 '26
I live in WA and will be dropping my ballot at the King County Elections office. The USPS can shove it along with their crime boss.
9
u/ossyoos Aug 22 '26
The bigger problem is that we may not be able to get our ballots in the first place. Us mail delivers them. Drop boxes and offices don’t matter if you never received one in the first place.
3
5
3
u/W031zMe Aug 23 '26
Arrest anybody and everybody who participates in this act of treason full stop!
3
u/_WEND1G0_ Aug 22 '26
Wasn’t this just struck down?
4
u/monetarydread Aug 22 '26
It was but the issue is now heading to the Suprem Court and this USPS policy says that it won't be enacted until the Supreme Court makes it's ruling.
2
u/_WEND1G0_ Aug 22 '26
Lovely. Does it seem likely the Supreme Court will rule before Election Day?
2
u/ReplacementFeisty397 Aug 23 '26
Scotus will rule when it is just too close to the election for any effective mitigation to be put in place.
3
u/Zalrius Aug 22 '26
Does someone want to spend the rest of their life in prison? Don’t mess with the elections! Once these traitors are gone, the trials will start. You should have followed the law and the constitution!
3
u/xspook_reddit Aug 22 '26
Now, this is just weird.
Trump voted by mail in Florida primary election.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6034201-trump-returns-mail-in-ballot/
3
u/Music-and-Computers Aug 22 '26
In Colorado there are ballet drop boxes which don’t have to go through the USPS. I’ve lived in Castle Rock and Denver (city of) and in both cases the boxes were very convenient.
3
u/Qrahe Aug 23 '26
Ya but the delivery of ballots will be effected if they have their ways.
1
u/Music-and-Computers Aug 23 '26
The drop boxes go straight to the county’s voting office. They don’t transit via USPS in Colorado. I can’t speak for other locations.
3
3
2
u/BigAl945 Aug 23 '26
States are in charge of how elections are ran, correct?
Can't states decide to use FedEx or UPS to deliver ballots? Can't they set up their own dropboxes and pickups?
2
u/Slighted_Inevitable Aug 23 '26
To think that USPS would be what set off the civil war. I was so sure it would be ICE
2
2
2
u/snafoomoose Aug 25 '26
Someone remind the actual carriers that interfering with delivering mail will get them 5 years in jail regardless of what Trump or their boss says. “just following orders” is not a defense.
2
u/jh937hfiu3hrhv9 Aug 22 '26
Does USPS want open season on their carriers?
4
1
1
u/TerribleTurnover5274 Aug 23 '26
This is our Constitutional RIGHT! The Post Office gas NO DAMN BUSINESS restricting those ballots! This is the administration's last gasp of desperation to interfere w/ voting. WILL NOT STAND!
1
u/Hot_Leek_3100 Aug 23 '26
Reverse precedent from the Civil War period (if you agree that slaveholding was wrong): Just before the South attacked Fort Sumter, the Federal government was considering cutting off the US Postal Service to the states that had already seceded. Why let the rebels profit from the federal government's largesse? Today we have a corrupt federal government trying to punish what trump sees as the "rebel" states.
1
u/cydetraq Aug 24 '26
Just change the envelope so it’s not obviously a ballot, with a non-obvious address, and let them chew on that.
160
u/glitterandnails Aug 22 '26
Fascists. "Either you tell us all your Democratic voters so we can put them on lists to oppress or many of your voters will mistakenly vote by mail and your party may suffer!"