Overview
- The Postal Service posted a 95‑page final rule on Friday that would require states to give names and unique barcodes tied to mailed ballots and to apply serialized barcodes to outbound and return ballot envelopes.
- Federal courts have entered injunctions blocking the rule from taking effect and USPS said it will not implement the changes while those orders remain in place.
- The rule states USPS would rely only on exterior‑envelope data, would not open sealed ballots, and says postal workers may not record party affiliation.
- USPS and the administration say the measures follow President Trump’s March executive order and aim to improve verification and law‑enforcement access, while many states and voting advocates say the rule exceeds federal authority and risks delays or lost ballots.
- If injunctions are lifted this fall the changes could force states to reprint ballots and alter mailing operations, and the split rulings in federal appeals courts make a Supreme Court decision likely before the midterm elections.