Overview
- The Postal Service filed a 95‑page final rule that was made available for public inspection after being sent to the Federal Register, with the agency setting an effective date of Friday, Aug. 21 and formal publication scheduled for Aug. 26.
- If allowed to take effect, the rule would require states to submit voter‑level lists of who receives mail ballots and to use uniquely serialized barcodes on outbound and return ballot envelopes so USPS can track exterior envelope data without opening ballots.
- U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani has issued two preliminary injunctions blocking key parts of the administration’s plan for the 2026 midterms, and the Justice Department has appealed those orders up to the U.S. Supreme Court, leaving the rule in active litigation.
- USPS and DOJ say the agency will not implement the rule for any election on or before Nov. 3, 2026 unless courts lift the injunctions, making the rule legally finalized on paper but practically unenforceable for the upcoming midterms.
- Election officials and rights groups warn the mandate would force states to reprint envelopes, change processes, and share sensitive voter data, a shift that could disrupt ballot delivery and unevenly affect overseas, military and mail‑dependent voters if courts allow implementation.