Postmaster General David Steiner told senators Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to provide sensitive voter data to the federal government under a proposed rule tied to a March executive order from President Trump.
Steiner confirmed the policy during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, stating it was intended to ensure "the right ballots are going to the right people." The proposal is currently undergoing a 30-day public comment period, with a final rule due by the end of July.
What the Right Is Saying
Supporters of the measure say it is a procedural safeguard designed to prevent mail-in voter fraud by ensuring ballots reach only eligible voters.
Steiner characterized the rule as an effort to help states verify their own voter rolls. "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.
The proposed regulation stems from Trump's March executive order directing federal agencies to crack down on suspected mail-in voting irregularities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
What the Left Is Saying
Senate Democrats argued that the measure represents an overreach by the Trump administration into election administration, which they say falls under state authority under the Constitution.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the committee's top Democrat, pressed Steiner on whether states refusing to share their absentee voter lists would still receive ballot mailing services. "Under our proposed regulation, no," Steiner replied.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) directly appealed to Steiner to reject the proposal. "Please push back on being a pawn in this authoritarian playbook," she said. "The Postal Service is one of the most important institutions in our country. Don't taint it with the obsession of this one man."
Democrats have questioned whether the Postal Service has legal authority to enforce such a requirement, noting that election administration responsibilities are constitutionally assigned to states.
What the Numbers Show
Trump's executive order, issued in March, directed the Postal Service to propose a rule requiring states to submit lists of eligible voters at least 60 days before any federal election.
The proposed rule is currently in a 30-day public comment period that began earlier this month. A final regulation must be issued by July 31 under the timeline specified in the executive order.
Steiner noted during testimony that the Postal Service would comply with any court orders governing mail-in voting, suggesting legal challenges could affect implementation.
The Bottom Line
The proposal represents a significant test of federal authority over state-administered elections. If implemented as drafted, it would give the Trump administration leverage to disrupt mail-in voting in states that decline to share voter data with the federal government.
Legal experts expect court challenges regardless of how the final rule is written, given constitutional questions about federal control of election administration. The July deadline means states and advocacy groups have a narrow window to submit public comments before a final decision is made.