Postmaster General David Steiner defended a Trump administration proposal that would stop the U.S. Postal Service from delivering mail-in ballots in states that refuse to provide absentee voter data to the federal government.
Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Steiner confirmed that under the proposed rule, USPS would not deliver ballots in states that decline to share absentee voter lists and ballot tracking information. He said the measure is intended to ensure that “the right ballots are going to the right people” and help verify that ballots sent by states match those actually delivered.
The proposal, which stems from President Trump’s March executive order on elections, would require states to provide absentee voter rolls, ballot barcodes, and tracking data for federal elections. Steiner acknowledged that USPS does not administer elections but argued the rule serves as a procedural safeguard to help ensure ballots are sent only to eligible voters.
All 47 Senate Democrats urged USPS to withdraw the proposal, calling it an unlawful attempt to transform the Postal Service into an election administration arm of the federal government.
