# USPS will halt mail ballots in non-compliant states, postmaster tells Senate  
**Published:** 2026-06-24T19:06:34.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/24/repub/states-that-wont-obey-trump-order-will-have-their-mail-ballots-halted-postmaster-says/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/usps-will-halt-mail-ballots-in-non-compliant-states-postmaster-tells-senate

The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail ballots in states that refuse to surrender voter lists to the federal government under a proposed rule, Postmaster General David Steiner told senators Wednesday, drawing sharp condemnation from Democrats who warned the decision will disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of November's midterm elections.

Steiner made the stark announcement during a [Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov) hearing when asked directly by Michigan Democrat Gary Peters whether USPS would mail ballots in states refusing to comply. "Under our proposed regulation, no," Steiner replied, adding that the Postal Service would demand states provide "the manifest" of voter information.

The testimony marked [the clearest federal acknowledgment yet that the rule threatens to upend mail voting](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/24/repub/states-that-wont-obey-trump-order-will-have-their-mail-ballots-halted-postmaster-says/) across the nation. The policy stems from [President Donald Trump's March executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/) requiring states to submit lists of voters expected to vote by mail as a condition of USPS delivery.

Democrats assailed the proposed regulation as unconstitutional, with Peters warning it effectively "coerces" states into providing sensitive voter data controlled by states under the Constitution. "You're telling states, 'Give the federal government this information or you can't mail absentee ballots. You're going to make a decision that people cannot vote by mail. That's unacceptable," Peters said.

Michigan Democrat Elissa Slotkin called Steiner "a pawn" in Trump's "authoritarian playbook," accusing him of implementing "just another backdoor way of trying to influence this election" and demonstrating "the level of obsession this president has" with elections.

The USPS [proposed the rule in late May](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/02/2026-10968/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections), requiring states to submit voter names, addresses and ballot barcodes 30 days before elections. Eight states and Washington, D.C. automatically mail all voters ballots—California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington—meaning those jurisdictions would need to provide information on every voter.

Trump and his administration argue the restrictions combat noncitizen voting, which election experts say occurs extremely rarely. Democrats and voting rights groups have sued over the order, contending it represents an unconstitutional assertion of presidential authority over state-run elections. No judge has yet blocked the rule.

Steiner denied the Postal Service was acting politically, asserting it was "not a political organization." He said USPS would comply with any court order blocking the rule.

All 47 Senate Democrats and two independents aligned with the party signed a [letter Tuesday urging Steiner to withdraw the rule](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/260623_USPS_Absentee_EO_Letter.pdf), arguing it's not feasible for election officials to meet its requirements just months before a general election. "The proposed regulation demands that the Postal Service set up an entirely new system and database to process and transmit millions of absentee ballots that is secure and accessible to every American election official, just months prior to a general election," the letter said.

Republican senators largely avoided the mail ballot debate Wednesday, focusing instead on USPS finances. Ohio Republican Bernie Moreno accused Democrats of hypocrisy, noting they previously supported the "For the People Act" that would have expanded mail voting when they controlled Congress.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/24/repub/states-that-wont-obey-trump-order-will-have-their-mail-ballots-halted-postmaster-says/)
- [The White House - Trump's March 2026 Executive Order on Elections](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/)
- [Federal Register - USPS Proposed Rule on Ballot Mail](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/02/2026-10968/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections)
- [Senate Homeland Security Committee - Democratic Letter to Postmaster General](https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/260623_USPS_Absentee_EO_Letter.pdf)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/24/repub/states-that-wont-obey-trump-order-will-have-their-mail-ballots-halted-postmaster-says/.