Whistleblower claims USPS plan for Trump's mail voting order could 'derail' midterms

USPS Prepares Online System for Mail Ballot Verification Under Blocked Trump Directive

Election workers in Provo, Utah, processed ballots collected from a U.S. Postal Service facility during the 2020 election cycle. The agency has continued development of an online portal intended to handle data submissions from states under a presidential directive on mail voting.

The directive, issued by President Trump, requires the Postal Service to establish procedures for verifying that mail ballots meet specific eligibility criteria before distribution. One component involves an online system where state election offices would transmit names of absentee voters along with barcode information from ballot envelopes. Implementation of that system has been paused by a temporary restraining order issued last week by a federal judge in Boston.

The judge determined that the Postal Service likely lacks statutory authority to impose such controls on mail voting procedures. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Additional litigation is expected as states and voters address the status of the order.

A disclosure submitted Monday by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., to the Postal Service describes concerns raised by an anonymous official involved in the portal's development. The document states that testing of the system has been limited and that the agency adopted a verification process requiring zero errors before ballots could proceed. According to the disclosure, this standard could require repeated review cycles and delay transmission of large volumes of ballots if any discrepancies arise.

The disclosure was prepared with assistance from Whistleblower Aid, a nonprofit representing the individual. Spokespeople for the Postal Service did not respond to inquiries about the document's contents by the time of publication. Postmaster General David Steiner received a letter from Blumenthal urging the agency to halt work on the project.

President Trump has stated that the directive aims to reduce instances of voting by individuals who are not U.S. citizens. Multiple studies and state audits have documented that such occurrences are infrequent. Trump has cast ballots by mail in prior elections.

Voting by mail for the upcoming midterm elections is scheduled to begin this week in several states. The Postal Service had been working on the portal for several months prior to the court order. The restraining order prevents enforcement of the data-submission requirements while legal proceedings continue.

Further rulings from lower courts may address additional aspects of the directive, including its application to other federal agencies. The Supreme Court has not yet considered challenges to the order. The Postal Service receives financial support from various organizations, including NPR.

The disclosure outlines potential effects on ballot delivery timelines if the system were activated under the zero-error standard. No independent assessment of the portal's performance has been released by the agency.