Postal Chief Says Election Mail Returns to Normal After Trump Voting Rules Blocked/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The U.S. Postal Service stopped developing a voter-verification system after the Supreme Court declined to revive President Donald Trump’s mail-voting restrictions. Postmaster General David Steiner said established election-mail procedures will remain in effect throughout the 2026 midterm elections. Despite the system’s suspension, concerns about delayed postmarks remain, and USPS recommends mailing completed ballots at least seven days early.
Quick Look
- USPS has stopped work on the controversial computer system.
- A court injunction prevents the agency from implementing Trump’s election order.
- The platform would have checked voters against government citizenship lists.
- Mail ballots could have been withheld from voters who did not clear the process.
- States also would have faced uniform envelope and barcode requirements.
- USPS says the new rules will not be enforced during the 2026 federal election.
- A whistleblower alleged that the system was rushed and contained serious errors.
- Steiner defended USPS employees who worked on the project.
- Optional barcodes may still be encouraged through lower postal prices.
- USPS advises voters to mail completed ballots at least seven days before deadlines.
Deep Look
USPS stops work on voting system
The U.S. Postal Service has halted development of a computer system that was central to President Donald Trump’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail voting.
Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed the decision after the Supreme Court declined to lift an injunction blocking the administration’s executive order before the 2026 midterm elections.
“There’s an injunction so we’re not doing anything,” Steiner told the Associated Press.
The decision means the Postal Service will not implement the proposed voter-verification platform or enforce the related ballot-envelope requirements during this year’s federal election.
Steiner’s remarks and the agency’s decision were reported by the Associated Press.
Existing election-mail rules remain in effect
A memo sent to Postal Service employees said the agency would “not be enforcing any of these new rules in the 2026 federal election.”
“First and foremost, for Election Mail it is business as usual,” according to the memo. “We continue to follow established protocols, and we remain entirely focused on our core mission: delivering the mail safely and securely for voters and election officials across the country.”
The statement provides continuity for state and local election administrators who had expressed concern about changing mail-ballot procedures close to Election Day.
States may continue using their existing ballot envelopes, voter lists and election-mail systems.
The injunction applies to the federal changes proposed through Trump’s executive order. It does not eliminate individual state rules governing ballot applications, signatures, identification, postmarks or receipt deadlines.
Trump order gave USPS a new election role
Trump signed the executive order in March, directing multiple federal agencies to help develop citizenship lists for states.
Those lists would have been sent to an online portal operated by the Postal Service. Under the proposed system, USPS would have been authorized to send mail ballots only to voters who passed the verification process.
The plan would have transformed the agency from a carrier of election mail into part of the process for determining who was eligible to receive a ballot.
Election administration has traditionally been handled by state and local officials, subject to federal constitutional and statutory requirements.
Steiner said he learned about the executive order approximately one month before it was announced. He described his role as focused on whether USPS could implement the requirements rather than deciding whether the policy itself was appropriate.
Steiner emphasizes agency independence
Steiner described the Postal Service as an “independent agency of the executive branch.”
“I don’t get to decide what rules that are put on us that I decide to accept or not accept,” he said. “I looked at it more from the execution side.”
The Postal Service has previously asserted operational independence from the White House, including during a 2019 dispute involving the first Trump administration and Amazon.
Steiner declined to discuss the “nuance” of that earlier conflict.
He also avoided offering an opinion about the Supreme Court’s action or Trump’s criticism of the justices who declined to revive the restrictions.
Whistleblower alleges system was rushed
A whistleblower report released by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut alleged that the computer platform was developed too quickly and contained significant errors.
The report warned that problems in the system could disrupt ballot distribution or prevent eligible voters from receiving election materials.
Steiner said he had read “portions” of the report and acknowledged the difficulty of creating such a large platform within a short period.
The Postal Service had intended to launch the system around Sept. 15.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that we worked fast,” he said. “My personal opinion is it was a monumental task and I’m very proud of our IT department for being able to do it that fast.”
The whistleblower’s allegations and the concerns raised about implementation were detailed in an earlier Associated Press investigation.
States faced new envelope requirements
Trump’s order also would have required states to adopt a uniform envelope format for mail ballots.
The proposed envelopes would have included barcodes intended to help USPS track and process election mail.
State officials said changing ballot materials and procedures so close to the election would be difficult. Election administrators must arrange printing, testing, distribution and instructions well before voting begins.
Some states had already begun preparing or mailing ballots while the federal rules remained under court review.
Because the injunction remains in place, states will not be required to redesign their envelopes or submit voter data through the federal portal for the 2026 election.
Supreme Court leaves injunction in place
The Supreme Court rejected the administration’s attempt to enforce the executive order during this year’s midterms.
The decision did not necessarily resolve every underlying legal question permanently. It left the lower-court injunction in place for the current election.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated that he might support the administration’s position if the dispute returns to the Supreme Court under different circumstances.
That means questions about presidential authority, federal postal rules and state control of election administration could arise again in future litigation.
For 2026, however, the Postal Service says it will operate under established election-mail procedures. The Supreme Court’s action was covered in a separate Associated Press report.
USPS may continue encouraging barcodes
Although the mandatory federal system has been stopped, Steiner said USPS will continue encouraging states to use standardized envelopes and barcodes voluntarily in future elections.
He said the agency could provide a financial incentive by charging less to process envelopes designed for more efficient automated handling.
“If you use the barcode in the envelope, we’ll charge you a lower price,” he said. “If you don’t, we’re going to charge you a higher price because it’s harder for us to process.”
This approach would not make the barcode a condition for voter eligibility or ballot delivery.
Instead, it would treat barcode adoption as an operational and pricing decision for election authorities using postal services.
Postmark concerns remain unresolved
Suspension of the computer platform does not resolve concerns about postal delays or late postmarks.
Recently released data showed sharp increases in ballots rejected for late postmarks in Washington and Oregon, two states that rely heavily on voting by mail.
Operational changes can affect when a mailpiece receives its postmark, which is significant in states that count ballots based partly on when they were mailed.
Ballot rules vary. Some states require completed ballots to arrive by the close of voting on Election Day, while others accept later arrivals if envelopes contain timely postmarks.
Steiner said USPS does not plan to reverse the operational changes connected to the postmark concerns.
Steiner urges voters to mail ballots early
Steiner encouraged people voting by mail to return their ballots well before applicable state deadlines.
“We say seven days,” he said. “Everything is solved if people vote early.”
The seven-day recommendation is intended to provide enough time for postal processing and delivery.
Voters should still consult their state or local election office because deadlines differ across jurisdictions. In places requiring ballots to arrive by Election Day, mailing seven days early can reduce the risk of late delivery.
Voters approaching a deadline may also have other options, depending on state law, such as returning ballots directly to an election office, authorized drop box or early-voting location.
Steiner rejects resignation rumors
Steiner has led the Postal Service while confronting both political pressure and financial difficulties.
He has urged Congress to approve changes intended to address what he describes as a “liquidity crisis” at the agency.
The pressure surrounding election mail and the Trump administration’s order led to speculation that Steiner might resign. He rejected those reports.
“There’s no truth to that,” he said. “I think I know the motivation behind it. I think it’s somebody that would like to see me out of a job.”
Steiner said he intends to continue leading USPS as it prepares to process election mail under the agency’s established procedures.
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