At the direction of President Trump, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a proposed rule earlier this month that would erect barriers to mail voting. These proposed amendments would create unnecessary barriers to voting that could prevent eligible voters from receiving and returning their mail-in and absentee ballots and could even serve to disenfranchise eligible voters who are unable to vote in person.
The proposed USPS rule would impose three major new requirements on mail ballots:
- Envelope standards — Ballot envelopes must carry the Election Mail logo, be automation-compatible, and include a unique barcode tied to each individual voter, with all designs subject to USPS approval.
- Voter data submission — States must upload each mail ballot recipient’s name, address, and barcode to a new federal portal at least 30 days before the election.
- USPS gatekeeping authority — USPS will check ballot mailings against the submitted data before accepting them. Any mailing that doesn’t match — including those from states that haven’t complied — will be rejected and returned, with USPS bearing no responsibility for resulting delays.
Comments from real voters carry weight — and the July 2, 2026 deadline is fast approaching.
HOW TO SUBMIT A COMMENT
Email your comment (with your name and address included) to:
PCFederalRegister@usps.gov
Or mail written comments to:
Director, Product Classification
U.S. Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446
Washington, DC 20260-5015
Sample letter:
I am writing to oppose the U.S. Postal Service’s proposed rule on Ballot Mail for Federal Elections (FR Doc. 2026-10968). I am concerned about what this rule would mean for our elections and for voters like me.
The rule would require states to share the names and addresses of every person who requests a mail ballot with a new federal database, and would give the Postal Service authority to reject mailed ballots that don’t meet new federal standards. Election administration has long been a function of state and local government, and I don’t believe the Postal Service should be placed in the position of acting as a compliance gatekeeper for ballots.
I’m also concerned about the precedent this sets. Once a federal database tracking who votes by mail exists, and once an agency has the authority to reject ballot mailings, those tools could be expanded or repurposed in ways that are difficult to anticipate or reverse — regardless of who is in office. Voters should be able to trust that exercising their right to vote by mail won’t result in their information being collected in a new federal system, and that ballot delivery won’t be subject to rejection based on standards outside their control.
I urge the Postal Service to withdraw this proposed rule.