New Mail-in Ballot Restrictions Implemented by USPS Amid Legal Battles

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has enacted new measures regarding mail-in ballots, coinciding with ongoing legal challenges to these restrictions. As the midterm elections on November 3 approach, the USPS announced on Thursday that it will now only deliver ballots to voters confirmed on state-provided eligibility lists.

This change follows a recent Supreme Court ruling favoring the Trump administration, which has long criticized mail-in voting, alleging it leads to fraud despite contrary evidence. Trump's administration initiated an executive order in March aimed at creating these eligibility lists, which are now in effect.

While the Postal Service is moving forward with these protocols, legal disputes persist. A group of 24 states filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts arguing that the new rules impose unconstitutional and burdensome requirements on mail-in voting just before the elections. They contend that this could inflict significant harm on the electoral process.

Historically, mail-in voting has gained traction across party lines, comprising about 30% of ballots in the 2024 presidential election. Despite Trump’s unfounded claims, studies have shown a minuscule incidence of fraud in mail-in voting, with only four cases found per 10 million ballots cast, according to a Brookings Institution report.

Source: www.aljazeera.com