The U.S. Postal Service has proposed new regulations governing the handling of mail-in and absentee ballots for federal elections, citing President Trump’s Executive Order 14399 on election integrity. The proposal would establish new tracking, reporting, and processing requirements for ballots sent through the mail.
Under the proposed rule, ballots for federal general, special, and runoff elections would be required to use USPS-approved envelope designs featuring the official Election Mail logo and unique Intelligent Mail barcodes on both outbound and return envelopes. Election officials would also be required to submit ballot-mailing and participation data through a new Federal Ballot Mail Portal, including information used to associate mailed ballots with official election records and support reconciliation of ballot mailings.
USPS said the proposal would create a standardized process for tracking and verifying election mail, providing greater visibility into ballots moving through the postal system. The agency stated the changes are intended to support the objectives outlined in Executive Order 14399 while improving handling and monitoring of election mail.
The proposal would also establish a verification process before USPS accepts outbound ballot mailings from election officials. Mailings that do not comply with the new requirements would be returned for correction.
Read the USPS Proposed Rule (Federal Register)
