USPS Proposes Rule Requiring States to Share Mail-In Voter Lists

The U.S. Postal Service released a proposed rule on May 29, 2026, that would create a 'Mail-In and Absentee Participation List' system requiring states to submit names, addresses, and unique ballot barcodes for every mail voter before USPS will deliver their ballots. The proposal operationalizes a March 2026 executive order signed by President Trump directing federal agencies to assert greater control over election administration, which critics argue unconstitutionally shifts power over elections from states to the executive branch. More than 48 million Americans voted by mail in the 2024 election, and eight states plus D.C. now conduct elections largely or entirely by mail, meaning any disruption could affect the core mechanism of voting in those jurisdictions. A federal judge declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the underlying executive order, ruling challenges were premature, but the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has since expedited an appeal with briefing scheduled through early July and oral arguments to follow. State election officials and postal unions have raised both constitutional and practical objections, noting that the digital portal USPS would need to receive voter data does not yet exist, and that the agency lacks clear funding to build it. Critics also contend the voter-list requirement is effectively a backdoor attempt to obtain voter data after courts have blocked Justice Department demands for the same information in eight separate rulings.