Will states have to hand over voter information to the federal government in order for ballots to be counted? That’s the new system, per a proposed rule from the U.S. Postal Service.
However, there’s been pushback from Democratic lawmakers. This week a federal judge also barred the Postal Service’s rule, POLITICO reported.
U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner testified before Congress this week that the rule would simply be a national expansion of a program that’s already followed by some states, including California and Oregon. He described the voter information as a “manifest” of people who were provided with mail-in ballots that can be used to cross check the ballots that were eventually mailed in.
“It is a much more efficient, a much more effective way,” Steiner argued.
Yet, requiring states to provide voter information is a contentious proposition, since states themselves have the power to conduct elections, not the federal government or postal service. Sen Gary Peters (D-Mich.) argued that it would amount to “a power grab to swap congressionally mandated state control for what the president wants.”
Much of the concern over the proposed rule is centered around President Donald Trump, who has made unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud for years. Trump has slammed mail-in voting as corrupt and then gone on to mail in his own ballot and he’s hinted at pursuing an unconstitutional third term in office.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), alleged that the president is “obsessed” with elections in a way that she believes will “disenfranchise all voters.” She also told Steiner that he is merely a “pawn” in Trump’s plan to secure federal control over elections.
“He does not believe that elections that he loses are valid elections,” Slotkin told the postmaster general of Trump.
Before the proposed rule from the post office, Trump issued an executive order calling on the USPS to establish standards for absentee ballots. This order is referenced in the USPS’ proposed rule.
Steiner confirmed to lawmakers that, if the rule is finalized, the postal service will not deliver ballots from states that do not send in absentee voter rolls to the federal government. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told Steiner the proposed rule is “bogus” and that he expects the issue will land in court.
POLTICO said the federal judge’s decision this week was a “victory for the 23 states and Washington, D.C., which sued the Trump administration over the president’s March executive order that demanded the agency implement such a rule.” According to the outlet, the Trump administration will likely appeal the ruling.
