USPS proposes rule to collect state mail-in voter lists

The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a new rule requiring states to submit lists of voters receiving mail-in ballots for federal elections, marking the first concrete step to implement an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March. The proposed rule, published on the Federal Register website on Friday, would apply to general, special, and runoff federal elections but exempts primary elections and ballots sent to military and overseas voters.

The rule would require states to provide the Postal Service with the names and addresses of voters receiving mail-in or absentee ballots, along with unique barcodes for each ballot envelope. The Postal Service stated the data would help determine how many ballots were mailed and allow for comparisons with ballots returned to detect potential issues for further investigation. The public has 30 days to comment on the proposal before the administration can finalize it.

This action follows a federal judge's decision on Thursday to decline an immediate request to block the underlying executive order. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington ruled that because federal agencies had not yet taken significant steps to implement...