Democratic Governors Urge Postal Service to Withdraw Proposed Rule on Mail Ballots

A group of Democratic governors has called on the U.S. Postal Service to retract a proposed rule linked to an executive order by President Donald Trump. This order aims to develop a federal list of eligible voters, potentially restricting mail ballot distribution. The executive order, issued in March, directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Social Security Administration to form a ‘citizenship list’ for each state and limits mail ballots to those included on these lists.

The Postal Service submitted the proposed rule in late May. However, a federal judge has since halted the implementation of Trump’s order, labeling it unconstitutional. The judge asserted that only states and Congress have the authority to establish election regulations. Democratic governors, led by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and including governors from California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin, have sent a letter to the Postal Service. They appealed for the proposal’s withdrawal, citing the judicial ruling. They highlighted the potential negative impact of the rule, stating, ‘Far from ensuring integrity in federal elections, the Proposed Rule would undermine trust in elections, complicate voting processes, disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, and undermine states’ constitutional role in ensuring free and fair elections.’

The proposed rule, they argued, grants the Postal Service ‘unilateral power to refuse to deliver ballots if a state fails to comply with Trump’s unlawful directives.’ The Postal Service has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the proposal. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register after another federal judge decided not to block it, as the administration had not taken implementation steps at that time. The lawsuit opposing Trump’s executive order, filed by Democratic and civil rights groups, is currently under appeal.

Postal workers have also expressed concern over the executive order. Jonathan Smith, the president of the American Postal Workers union, stated that verifying voter eligibility is not part of their responsibilities, which focus on mail delivery.

This is Trump’s second executive order concerning election oversight. His first order, which also faced court challenges, required proof of citizenship for voter registration. Trump’s focus remains on noncitizen voting, despite studies indicating such occurrences are rare. He frequently targets mail voting as fraudulent, while also utilizing it himself. Brookings Institution research conducted in 2025 highlights minimal fraud in mail voting, citing approximately four fraud cases per 10 million mail ballots.