A federal judge in Boston held a hearing to determine whether to extend a temporary ban on a Postal Service mail ballot system mandated by a Trump administration executive order. The system would require states to upload voter lists to an online portal and track mail ballots through a new process that could delay or prevent ballot delivery if data mismatches occur.
During the hearing, the judge expressed skepticism about the government’s readiness, noting the lack of formal documentation proving the system was operational and functional. The Justice Department attorney representing the Postal Service confirmed the agency would implement the regulation published last month but could not provide concrete details about how the system would work in practice. The judge described the effort as an “experiment” given the tight timeline with mail ballots scheduled to begin shipping out the next day, with North Carolina leading the way.
The case stems from litigation filed by Democrats and voting rights groups who argue the president lacks authority to unilaterally change election procedures, a power the Constitution grants to states and Congress. The Supreme Court had previously halted a similar order in June, ruling it premature before the Postal Service published implementing regulations. Those regulations were subsequently issued, prompting the renewed legal challenge and the current temporary restraining order requiring the judge’s decision by September 10.
Election officials contend they cannot comply with the new directives, which would require envelope design approval and voter list uploads to an unfunctional portal. The Postal Service has identified no states that have voluntarily adopted the system. A whistleblower report warned the new requirements could prevent millions of ballots from being sent, particularly if bar code errors in batch processing cause entire groups of ballots to be discarded.
The administration has characterized the changes as minor and legal, while also warning they would appeal to the Supreme Court if the judge maintains the restriction.
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