Defend Our Right to Vote by Mail: Stop Federal Election Interference

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose the U.S. Postal Service's final rule that would allow the agency to refuse delivering mail ballots in states that decline to surrender voter rolls to the federal government. This rule represents an unconstitutional intrusion into state election administration. The Constitution reserves electoral authority to the states, and the Postal Service was established as an independent agency to protect it from political interference. While the Postal Service claims in its final rule that it is not acting as an election administrator, the reality is that by conditioning the delivery of ballots on the surrender of state data, the executive branch is attempting to dictate the manner of state elections. This is a direct violation of our constitutional structure and the independence of the Postal Service. The practical impact of this rule would be devastating and chaotic. With the first absentee ballots scheduled to be sent as early as September 4, the timing is critical. Implementation would impose enormous costs on budget-strained local governments, some of which have already designed and printed ballots. Forcing these jurisdictions to scrap existing materials and order new envelopes to meet arbitrary federal standards is a waste of taxpayer dollars and an administrative nightmare. Furthermore, the requirement to screen every envelope for compliance introduces a level of uncertainty and potential for error that could jeopardize millions of votes. This proposed rule would disproportionately harm voters who rely on flexible voting methods—including seniors, individuals with mobility issues, and those who travel frequently. By creating a system where the Postal Service can simply refuse delivery based on federal "citizenship lists," the government is creating a barrier to the ballot that targets the most vulnerable. The justification for this rule is based on a false premise. Illegal noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare, and election security experts have consistently found mail voting to be secure. The administration's own rhetoric suggests this is not about security, but about partisan gain, with President Trump explicitly stating that restricting mail ballots would "guarantee the midterms" for his party. The Postal Service was established as a founding institution to protect democratic participation, a principle signed into law by George Washington. It cannot be allowed to function as a tool for partisan manipulation or a mechanism for voter suppression. While the Supreme Court has recently allowed this process to move forward, the legal battle is far from over. I urge you to publicly oppose this final rule and support legislation that protects the Postal Service's independence and guarantees mail voting access. Democracy depends on your leadership to ensure that the 2026 elections remain safe, secure, and accessible to all.