SouthernWorldwide.com – The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has proposed a new rule that would prevent them from delivering election ballots in states that refuse to provide their absentee voter lists to the federal government.
This significant development was revealed by U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner during a hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Ranking Member Gary Peters, D-Mich., questioned Steiner on the implications of this proposed regulation.
Senator Peters specifically asked whether the USPS would proceed with mailing ballots from a state that “refuses” to share its absentee voter list with federal authorities. Steiner’s response was a clear and direct “Under our proposed regulation, no.”
He further elaborated that the purpose of this proposed rule is to ensure a match between the ballots a state intends to send out and those that are actually mailed. This measure aims to enhance accountability and transparency in the election process.
The proposed rule, which specifically addresses federal election balloting, outlines a process for states to notify the Postal Service. This notification would include the names of individuals receiving mail-in or absentee ballots, as well as unique barcodes for the outbound and return ballot envelopes.
According to the text of the proposal, this information would be compiled into a “Mail-In and Absentee Participation List.” This list would contain the name and barcode of each voter, allowing for a more precise tracking system.
States would have the flexibility to update or modify this list of enrolled individuals until the final day for mailing ballots under their respective state laws. The Postal Service would then provide each state’s chief election official with a finalized State-Specific Mail-In and Absentee Participation List.
Senator Peters expressed strong concerns regarding this proposal, labeling it an “incredibly dangerous precedent.” He argued that this represents an effort by the current administration to “nationalize elections.”
He emphasized the critical importance of protecting the integrity of voter rolls. Furthermore, Peters stressed the need to maintain a clear separation between election administration and the federal government.
His stance is that state and local governments should remain the primary administrators of their own elections, preserving a decentralized approach to the electoral process.
