Mass. voting rights groups fight USPS mail-in voting overhaul
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Attorneys on Thursday will make their case for why a federal judge in Boston should stop the Trump administration from overhauling mail-in voting this November.
The big picture: The lawsuit, one of several legal challenges nationwide, could determine whether the states or the federal government can regulate mail-in ballots in a process that voting rights groups argue could disenfranchise voters.
Catch up quick: Several voting rights organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and the ACLU of Massachusetts, are suing to block President Trump's executive order requiring states to send their voter rolls to the U.S. Postal Service, ostensibly to "enhance election integrity."
- Among other things, the order would let the USPS refuse to mail out ballots to voters who aren't on the list.
- The USPS published a final rule last month implementing the order in time for the Nov. 3 elections, despite the various lawsuits challenging the order.
- District Judge Indira Talwani temporarily blocked the order from taking effect last week.
State of play: The USPS can continue building its mail-in ballot portal and communicate with states about design standards as long as their participation remains voluntary while the case proceeds.
What they're saying: "USPS is attempting to impose an entirely new set of disruptive requirements on how states administer mail voting — requirements Congress never authorized, the Constitution forbids, and that will lead to confusion, error, and disenfranchisement," attorneys representing voting rights groups argued in a court filing.
The other side: "Regardless of political party or perspective, we share a common goal: ensuring that Americans can have confidence that their election mail will be handled securely and delivered reliably," a USPS spokesperson wrote in a statement.
The latest: A whistleblower claimed USPS' effort to create a portal was "secretive, rushed, chaotic and fundamentally flawed," per a letter sent to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
- The whistleblower claimed that such a portal typically takes a year to build and properly test, but that USPS wants it ready by September.
- The whistleblower also claimed that one error on a single ballot's bar code could cause the system to reject a batch of 10,000 ballots.
- USPS is reviewing Blumenthal and the whistleblower's concerns, a spokesperson said.
What we're watching: Massachusetts election officials plan to send out mail-in ballot applications in the next few weeks.
- Local election officials will mail out ballots soon after.
- The USPS said it's finalizing the portal and plans to make it available to election officials who want to explore it.