Judge blocks – A federal judge blocked U.S. Postal Service proposals responding to President Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting mail-in voting, including a plan to withhold ballots from states that don’t provide voter lists to the federal government. The proposals
When the U.S. Postal Service moved to put President Trump’s executive order into practice, it wasn’t just a bureaucratic tweak. It was a plan to decide who gets ballots—by using information from state election officials to build “approved” voter lists.
That effort ran into a fast stop in federal court. A judge blocked the Postal Service proposals responding to Trump’s order, including a provision that would have meant ballots were not delivered in states that don’t turn over voter lists to the federal government.
The fight is already crowded in courtrooms. Trump’s executive order is facing five lawsuits. and so far. it has not directly affected mail-in voting for this year’s primaries. But the Postal Service’s proposed “vote-by-mail” rule—tied directly to Trump’s directive—has become one of the clearest flashpoints in an escalating legal battle over who has the power to set the rules for federal elections.
On Capitol Hill this week. Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan pressed Postal Service leadership during a tense exchange with Postmaster General David Steiner. Peters asked a blunt question about what would happen if a state refused to share its absentee voter list with the federal government.
Steiner’s answer was direct: under the Postal Service’s proposed regulation, the ballots would not be mailed if a state did not turn over its list.
That is exactly what critics say goes too far. The proposals are now under review by federal courts after challenges brought by Democrats. almost two dozen states. and voting rights groups. They argue the Constitution gives power to state legislatures and Congress—not the president—to establish the federal election rules.
Peters also questioned Steiner about another claim made by the order’s challengers: that the Postal Service has no legal authority to regulate who can vote by mail and the systems used to verify ballots. Steiner said he would have to defer that question to the courts to determine the scope of legal authority.
The argument against the Postal Service’s role goes further than procedural concerns. Peters said there is nowhere in the Constitution—no federal law—that authorizes the Postal Service to create voter databases, ballot verification systems, or mandatory standards.
The legal pressure comes alongside a stark personal contrast. Trump voted by mail in Florida in March, and he has said he issued the order to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens in federal elections, which many reviews have found to be incredibly rare.
A federal judge in Boston is expected to rule soon on whether to block the order itself—an outcome that could determine how far the Postal Service, and the administration, can go in shaping mail-in voting rules nationwide.
One thing is already clear from the filings and the court activity: the Postal Service’s plan hinged on cooperation from states, and when that link was tested in court, it was the mechanism—not the mailing process alone—that judges moved to halt.
Trump executive order U.S. Postal Service mail-in voting mail ballots federal court voter lists absentee voter lists Gary Peters David Steiner Postal Service proposals lawsuits voting rights groups state election officials
So basically mail voting got blocked again? Love that for us.
I don’t get why USPS is even involved in “who gets ballots.” Isn’t that something states handle? If a state doesn’t send voter lists, they just won’t mail them?? That feels insane but also like maybe they’re trying to stop fraud, which everyone keeps saying they want.
Wait, the judge blocked it meaning the ballots WILL still go out even if states don’t share lists right? But the article also says it hasn’t affected this year’s primaries yet so what’s the big deal now then. Five lawsuits like that’s normal lol. Also why are senators grilling the postmaster like it’s his decision.
This whole thing sounds like the federal government trying to control elections through USPS rules. I saw something about voter lists and thought, ok, so they can just deny ballots to certain states which is basically disenfranchisement. But then it says the judge blocked the proposal, so did they undo it completely or is there still some version coming later? I swear it’s always “not this year” until it is. Also the name Steiner sounds like a villain from a movie, sorry.