Trump's Attempted USPS Power Grab Over Mail-in Voting
Revealed plans show unprecedented federal interference in election logistics
1Unprecedented executive overreach
Trump's March 2026 executive order sought to deputize the USPS to control mail-in voting, requiring special ballot envelopes and pre-approval of designs from nearly 10,000 voting jurisdictions. The order would have made USPS workers verify voter identities during delivery, fundamentally altering their role. This represented a dramatic expansion of federal control over traditionally state-run election procedures through an independent agency.
2Certified mail requirement
Initial White House demands went further - requiring ballots be delivered as certified mail, necessitating physical ID checks and signatures from recipients. This would have created a de facto national voter ID system for mail ballots. The USPS convinced Trump this was impractical given 48 million mail votes in 2024, with $5.55 per certified item costs likely pushed to local governments.
3Bureaucratic sabotage mechanisms
The order mandated returning entire ballot batches if any single envelope contained errors. As one official noted, this meant four errors in a million ballots could disenfranchise 999,996 voters. The plan also demoted the Postmaster General, requiring coordination with DHS and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, effectively politicizing mail operations.
4Legal maneuvering continues
While SCOTUS blocked the USPS order, it allowed another Trump initiative on September 25 - letting DHS use federal databases to search voter rolls for alleged non-citizens. Advocacy groups argue these systems contain numerous errors. Trump allies claim such purges are 'individualized' to circumvent federal 90-day pre-election voter protection laws.
5USPS leadership fears
USPS Board members reportedly feared resisting Trump would be their 'last action,' referencing his history of firing officials who displeased him. They instead waited for SCOTUS intervention. This chilling effect highlights how independent agencies faced unprecedented political pressure during this administration's election-related initiatives.
6Public confidence crisis
A PBS/NPR/Marist poll shows 40% of both Democrats and Republicans lack confidence in timely election mail delivery. While voter fraud remains extremely rare nationwide, these USPS interventions risked creating actual delays and confusion that could validate unfounded fraud claims and further undermine trust in electoral systems.
7Administration doubles down
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis denied proposals constituted improper interference, claiming the certified mail plan was abandoned for 'unrelated reasons.' The administration continued framing measures as security necessities despite clear potential to disrupt voting access, maintaining pressure on USPS as election approached.
8Democratic safeguards tested
These revelations demonstrate how election infrastructure became a battleground, with norms against politicizing independent agencies and state election authority eroding. The episode tests institutional resilience against executive overreach targeting voting access mechanisms, with lasting implications for future election administration.
Original article: Gizmodo — Trump's Attempted USPS Power Grab Over Mail-in Voting