Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service will refuse to deliver mail-in ballots in any state that fails to hand over sensitive voter information to the federal government, a policy shift directly tied to a proposed rule from the Trump administration.
Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Steiner defended the measure as a necessary safeguard to ensure ballots reach only eligible voters. The rule, stemming from an executive order President Trump signed in March, would require states to submit their absentee voter lists to the USPS at least 60 days before federal elections.
Senator Gary Peters, the committee's top Democrat from Michigan, pressed Steiner on the implications. “If a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposal rule?” Peters asked. “Under our proposed regulation, no,” Steiner replied.
Democrats immediately decried the move as an attempt to federalize elections, arguing that the Constitution vests election administration authority in the states. Senator Elissa Slotkin, also a Michigan Democrat, directly urged Steiner to resist what she called an “authoritarian playbook.” “The Postal Service is one of the most important institutions in our country,” Slotkin said. “Don’t taint it with the obsession of this one man.”
Steiner conceded that the USPS lacks constitutional authority to run elections but framed the rule as a procedural check. “I would think that states would want the information to ensure that the ballots that they think they’re sending out are the ballots that are actually getting sent out,” he said. He also noted the agency would comply with any court orders governing mail voting.
The executive order directs the Postal Service to issue a final rule by the end of July. A 30-day public comment period opened earlier this month. The controversy comes amid broader Republican efforts to tighten voting rules, including demands for voter ID requirements and restrictions on mail-in ballots. The Trump administration’s push has also intersected with other political battles, such as the stalled FISA renewal and the president’s insistence on linking intelligence nominations to voter ID legislation.
Critics warn the rule could disenfranchise voters in Democratic-led states that refuse to comply, potentially affecting millions of absentee ballots. The standoff underscores deepening partisan divides over election security and federal versus state control of voting procedures.
