USPS Unveils Final Mail Ballot Restrictions Despite Court Injunctions

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has published final proposed rules aimed at restricting the use of mail-in ballots under President Donald Trump. Although these rules remain blocked by U.S. courts, USPS shared the 95-page update on Friday so it could take effect immediately if the current injunctions are lifted.

Under the proposed regulations, the Postal Service would not distribute mail-in ballots to states that fail to comply with federal voter roll requirements. States would need to identify to USPS which voters have requested mail-in ballots. They would also be required to redesign ballot envelopes with barcodes that USPS can use to track and identify voting materials.

In the 95-page document, USPS argues these changes are necessary to ensure compliance with federal law. “These requirements do not constitute election administration, nor do they commandeer state resources,” the document states. “Rather, they regulate the use of the mail to improve operational efficiency and support the faithful execution of federal law.”

However, critics accuse the Trump administration of seeking to impose federal oversight on election administration, a responsibility that belongs to states under the U.S. Constitution. They warn that the Postal Service could use the proposed rules to collect voter information and reject ballots from states that do not comply with Trump's demands.

Since returning to office for his second term in 2025, Trump has sought to impose additional voting restrictions, based on false claims of widespread election fraud. He continues to maintain that he was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election, a race he lost. He has also used accusations of “rigged” voting to cast doubt on other elections when results do not favor him.

Mail-in voting has long been a focal point of Trump's efforts to tighten control over the electoral process. Despite criticizing the method as prone to fraud—an allegation without basis—Trump has voted by mail multiple times, including in Florida's primary earlier this month. Repeated studies show that election fraud is extremely rare in the U.S. Every state has laws prohibiting non-citizens from voting and ballot fraud.

In March, Trump issued an executive order directing the Postal Service to implement new mail-in ballot rules. The 95-page document released Friday is a response to that directive.

The midterm elections in November will determine control of the U.S. Senate and House, with Democrats hoping to reclaim one or both chambers of Congress. Leaders of 23 states and the District of Columbia have quickly challenged the Trump administration's plan to impose new mail-in voting rules. A coalition of voting rights organizations has also filed a separate lawsuit with the same goal.

In June, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the rules from taking effect, saying states could voluntarily participate but the federal government could not impose policies such as barcodes. Talwani ruled a second time on August 11, this time addressing the lawsuit filed by voting rights groups. She again issued a preliminary injunction preventing the rules from taking effect, noting that there are fewer than 90 days until the midterm elections.

“While [Trump's executive order] currently causes confusion and threatens to increase chaos and erode trust in our democracy, the court finds that the right to vote outweighs the executive's attempt to unconstitutionally interfere in the realm of election administration,” Talwani wrote.

Postmaster General David Steiner continues to defend the Trump administration's plan, arguing in June that the rules would ensure postal officials “match the ballots a state believes it is sending out with what is actually sent.” After the voting rules were posted online Friday night, critics condemned the push for restrictions. “Late tonight, USPS caved to Trump,” voting rights lawyer Marc Elias wrote on social media Saturday. Democratic lawmakers also argued that the Postal Service is seeking to reshape election rules just months before the midterm elections.