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President Donald Trump's administration has spent months trying to get voter lists, particularly from blue states. Now, Trump is threatening to deny mailing ballots through the USPS if those states don't turn over the lists.
"That dilemma stems from newly proposed USPS rules that seek to comply with an executive order President Donald Trump signed this spring to crack down on mail-in voting," reported CNN. "If courts let the order stand, it would give the federal government an unprecedented role in elections — and could put even more voter data in the hands of Trump officials searching for supposed election fraud."
Trump's rules lay out new demands for mail-in ballots that states must meet if they intend to conduct an election by mail. Some states, like Colorado and seven others, with the District of Columbia, have all-mail elections. Twenty-three states and D.C. have decided to sue over the threat.
The Justice Department cleared a legal hurdle in May when a federal judge in Washington refused to block Trump’s executive order, allowing the Postal Service to begin enforcing it. Democratic groups are seeking an appeal and warn voters will be disenfranchised in November if mailed-in ballots are banned.
Democratic Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, whose state is part of the coalition challenging the order in Boston, told CNN in an interview that if courts rule in favor of the Trump administration, it would be “a virtual elimination of mail-in voting, unless the states supply voter lists to the federal government.”
“If proper postage is paid on a mail piece, the USPS should deliver it,” former USPS Board of Governors Vice Chair Anton Hajjar said, speaking to CNN. “The proposed rule says it’s not regulating elections but that’s what, in effect, it’s doing.”
“This would deny eligible people the right to vote. Full stop,” said Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, who is also suing the Trump over the matter.
“This is not in the president’s power,” Read said. “It’s absolutely clear in the Constitution – states run elections.”
“The Administration remains confident that the Executive Order will be implemented by the November election, which was always the intent when it was signed,” claimed White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.