The Postal Service has released the text of its final rule governing absentee ballots, clarifying new requirements for how mail-in votes are processed that align with President Donald Trump’s efforts to limit the practice ahead of this year’s elections. In its 95-page rule, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) outlined how it would support Trump’s March Executive Order—“Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections”—which seeks to assemble a national registry of eligible voters and "enhance election integrity via the United States Mail." The Postal Service said that despite significant opposition being voiced during the comment period, the new standards were “necessary to ensure the faithful execution of federal law.” USPS noted two injunctions against Trump’s March order issued by federal courts in California and Massachusetts, and said that it will “not take actions to implement the rule specifically for the 2026 election unless and until the government obtains relief from those injunctions.” However, it said it is ready to do so if these are lifted, and is seeking to immediately implement the changes.
When approached for comment, the Postal Service said it could not provide further comment on Trump's executive order due to pending litigation. Submitted to the Federal Register on Friday following a monthslong review alongside the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Postal Service rule does not alter who can vote or whether states can use mail voting, but changes the way ballots are prepared, tracked, and accepted into the postal system. Following Trump’s March order, USPS would require states to provide federal agencies a list of eligible voters—"Mail-In and Absentee Participation Lists”—while adopting new data-entry and verification requirements.
Failure to satisfy the latter would mean that USPS can refuse to deliver the ballots, and USPS said the former would serve as a “neutral administrative check that strengthens confidence in election.” The Postal Service said it had received “more than 200,000 responses” on the proposed rule, including general support and opposition and “individualized messages from concerned citizens.” It said that opposition typically concerned supposed “legal deficiencies” in the rule, as well as potential implementation difficulties and its “broader political and social impact.” Citing these reasons—and ongoing legal challenges to Trump’s efforts to change mail-in voting rules—many said that USPS should delay implementation of the rule until following this year’s elections. However, the Postal Service said it was targeting an immediate effective date specifically so that officials can adjust to the rule in time for the midterms. Beyond his March Executive Order, President Trump has repeatedly criticized mail-in ballots—spreading false claims that this form of voting is prone to fraud and abuse and calling it “inherently corrupt” and “cheating.” Trump attributed his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, at least in part, to mail voting.
The president has on multiple occasions voted by mail in Florida. The White House has responded to criticism of this by arguing that Trump’s legal residence in Florida and presidential duties in Washington, D.C. mean he falls within one of the "commonsense exceptions” to his desired restriction of the practice. Per CBS News, the government has sued 30 states and Washington D.C. over their refusal to provide unredacted voter rolls—losing 23 of these cases so far.
Separately, Trump has made the SAVE America Act a key focus of his domestic agenda. The legislation would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and photo identification to cast a ballot. The administration has described it as “crucial for election integrity and voter security” though critics say it would create barriers for many eligible voters.
And Trump has also argued that passing the SAVE America Act would provide his party with an electoral boost in time for this year’s elections. In March, Trump told lawmakers at a House GOP conference that the bill would “guarantee the midterms.” The House passed a version of the SAVE America Act in February and moved forward SAVE-related provisions in July. The measure could be considered again by the Senate when lawmakers return next month.
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