Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal made public a whistleblower complaint detailing problems with the US Postal Service’s plans to restrict mail-in voting. The complaint alleges that the Trump executive order has created chaos in the Postal Service as it seeks to implement new rules before Election Day. It further alleges that the agency aimed to launch an online portal for state election officials to identify ballots they intended to mail to voters but has struggled to set up a working software system to match barcodes on ballot envelopes to lists of eligible voters. "Their system is set up to fail – and risk the right to vote for millions of Americans who cast their ballots by mail," Blumenthal said in a statement.

President Donald Trump maintains that Democratic-led states are allowing non-citizens to vote and has claimed without proof that the Democratic Party is involved in rigging elections. These assertions form the basis of the administration’s push for stricter verification protocols. Election fraud is incredibly rare, and experts say the few documented instances have not swayed election outcomes.

The scope of mail-in voting remains substantial across the country. Roughly 48 million US voters cast their ballots through the mail as of 2024. According to the Election Assistance Commission, about 30 percent of people who voted in the 2024 elections sent their ballots through the mail, a decrease from approximately 43 percent of votes cast through the mail in 2020.

In some states, the reliance on postal voting is even higher. In 2024, 98 percent of votes in Washington state were cast through the mail, while 93 percent of votes in Hawaii, 91 percent in Colorado, and 91 percent in Utah were also submitted via postal service.

State and county officials design ballots, which are then sent out through the Postal Service. Voters can return mail-in ballots through the mail or through official election drop boxes. Local election officials check names and addresses against voter lists and match signatures to records to ensure a mail-in vote is valid. The U.S. Postal Service reported a 97.94% on-time delivery rate through 2026, though Stevens County, Washington, had three times as many late ballots in the 2026 primary as it sees in a typical election.

Twenty-four states filed a new lawsuit after the Postal Service announced the restrictions to mail-in voting were in effect. A coalition of voting rights groups also filed a new lawsuit following the announcement. A study from the University of California, San Diego, found that voter confidence in the US dropped by 17 percentage points over the last two years to 60 percent, down from 77 percent in 2024.

Why It Matters

The Supreme Court’s decision allows the Trump administration to implement new verification requirements for mail-in ballots just weeks before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. With roughly 48 million voters using mail-in ballots in 2024, the changes affect a large portion of the electorate. The requirement for state-specific enrollment lists and barcodes introduces new technical hurdles for the Postal Service, which has reportedly struggled with the necessary software systems.

The legal battle reflects broader debates over election security and access. While President Trump cites concerns about fraud and non-citizen voting, experts maintain that such fraud is rare and does not alter outcomes. The drop in voter confidence from 77 percent in 2024 to 60 percent suggests that perceptions of electoral integrity remain an issue. The outcome of ongoing lawsuits and the operational performance of the Postal Service will likely influence both the conduct of the 2026 midterms and future discussions on voting procedures.

Timeline

On June 5, 2025, the Supreme Court of Arkansas delivered an opinion in Re Creation of Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 25 regarding Artificial Intelligence. In March 2026, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Postal Service to propose new rules reforming the design of mail-in ballots to include identifying barcodes. The executive order requires states to provide a list of eligible voters who intend to vote by mail. It also states that the Postal Service shall not transmit mail-in or absentee ballots from any individual unless those individuals have been enrolled on a state-specific list.

On August 27, 2026, a judge in Massachusetts issued an order that the new rules not be implemented for 14 days while parties prepare a more detailed case. The Supreme Court granted an emergency request in late August 2026 to allow the Trump administration to proceed with reforms to mail-in ballot procedures. The Supreme Court temporarily cleared the way for the Trump administration to enact the changes by lifting the lower court’s injunction. On September 1, 2026, Blumenthal said in a statement, "Their system is set up to fail – and risk the right to vote for millions of Americans who cast their ballots by mail."

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that Stevens County, Washington, had three times as many late ballots in the 2026 primary as it sees in a typical election. The U.S. Postal Service reported a 97.94% on-time delivery rate through 2026.