Overview
- Reporting says an early version of the administration’s plan would have required all mail ballots to be delivered by certified mail, forcing voters to sign for their ballots at the door.
- Postal leaders opposed the certified-mail idea and it was removed from the final approach, which instead pushed for barcoded envelopes and a USPS Ballot Portal that judges later blocked.
- Courts halted the barcode-and-portal rule and the Postal Service paused any rollout, so the technical changes will not be used for the 2026 midterms.
- Whistleblower disclosures and internal resistance have fueled oversight and personnel fallout, and reports say Postmaster General David Steiner may seek to resign over the controversy.
- The dispute raises federalism and access questions because mail voting procedures vary by state and a national certified-mail or portal system could have delayed or denied large numbers of ballots.