Politics
USPS issues mail-in ballot verification rule amid ongoing court block
A newly finalized regulation requires states to upload voter lists and use serialized barcodes for mail ballots, but an active injunction prevents enforcement.
The short version
- The USPS released a final rule requiring state election officials to provide voter names and addresses tied to unique barcodes before mail ballots can be delivered.
- The regulation would halt postal delivery of mail ballots for states that do not comply with the reporting and portal upload requirements.
- A federal preliminary injunction currently blocks the rule from taking effect, leaving implementation dependent on further court decisions.
Key facts
- The USPS rule mandates that states submit basic voter information, such as names and addresses linked to serialized barcodes, into a federal portal before ballots enter the mail stream.[Fox News · ABC News]
- The postal agency stated it will refuse to deliver mail ballots from states that do not comply with the new verification requirements.[Fox News · ABC News]
- U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction against the mail ballot provisions, which a federal appeals court upheld in July.[Fox News · ABC News]
- The rule is scheduled for official publication on August 26.[Fox News · ABC News]
- The USPS stated that the collected data will aid federal law enforcement while noting that the agency will not determine voter eligibility or tally ballots.[ABC News]
What remains uncertain
Sources
- USPS makes new rules for mail-in ballotsABC News - Top Stories
- USPS publishes rule to block mail-in ballots from states that don't provide voter listsFox News - Politics