USPS to refuse to mail ballots in states that don't hand over voter rolls
by Lisa Hornung · UPIJune 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. Postal Service plans to refuse delivery of mail-in ballots in states that don't turn over their voter lists to the federal government, the postmaster general told Congress.
Postmaster General David Steiner told the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about the proposed rule on Wednesday.
"Yes or no -- if a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposed rule?" Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked Steiner.
"Under our proposed regulation, no. We would tell the state that we need the manifest," Steiner said.
Steiner argued the policy is to make sure ballots are delivered "securely, efficiently, and accurately." But President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded states' voter lists over the past year and has been suing states to get them.
The proposed rule says that states would have to give the Postal Service the names, addresses and ballot barcode numbers for the people who are to get ballots in the mail. The proposal follows Trump's executive order from March 31 that requires the federal government to compile state citizenship lists and for the Postal Service to refuse to mail ballots to those the federal government has determined are ineligible to vote.
The proposed rule is posted on the Federal Register, and the public can comment until July 2.
Democrats have pushed back, arguing the rule shows that Trump is trying to federalize elections and said the Postal Service doesn't have the authority to enforce that rule. The Constitution says states are responsible for running elections.
"Just because President Trump wants to do this does not make it law, doesn't make it right, doesn't make it constitutional. There is certainly a massive difference between general mail requirements and regulating elections," Peters said.
Steiner admitted that his agency doesn't have the authority to enforce elections but said the rule is a precaution to be sure that only eligible voters will get ballots.
"I would think that states would want the information to ensure that the ballots that they think they're sending out are the ballots that are actually getting sent out," Steiner said.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said the rule is part of a broader strategy.
"The U.S. Postal Service is now part of this bigger story of this president desperate to federalize our elections. He has tried every which way to say that if he and his party don't win in these November elections, they were rigged."
Slotkin asked Steiner directly to stop the plan.
"Please push back on being a pawn in this authoritarian playbook," she said. "The Postal Service is one of the most important institutions in our country. Don't taint it with the obsession of this one man."
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