Overview
- The Postal Service filed a 95-page final rule that was made available for public inspection on Aug. 21 and is scheduled for formal Federal Register publication on Aug. 26.
- The rule would require states to submit voter-level lists of who received mail ballots and to place unique serialized barcodes on outbound and return ballot envelopes before USPS will handle them.
- The Department of Justice told courts the rule exists but said USPS will not implement it for any election on or before Nov. 3 unless both existing injunctions are lifted by the courts.
- Multiple federal judges, including U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, have issued injunctions blocking the rule for the 2026 midterms and the administration has appealed and sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court.
- Supporters say the rule would let USPS match mailed ballots to state records and detect problems, while states and voting rights groups say the change federalizes state election administration, risks logistical disruption, and could withhold delivery from noncompliant states.