All articles tagged with #usps
The U.S. Postal Service has delayed the start of its 'extraordinary measures' for handling mail ballots by five days, beginning October 24 instead of the usual mid-October. This shortens the window for processing millions of ballots before the November 3 election, prompting concerns about voter disenfranchisement and declining confidence in mail voting among Democrats.
The U.S. Postal Service’s Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) program is slowing mail delivery across 42.5% of continental U.S. zip codes, risking disenfranchisement for late mail voters. Simultaneously, Democratic strategists face declining voter confidence in mail ballots due to political rhetoric, despite Supreme Court blocks on federal restrictions. Late ballot rejections have surged to 64% in recent primaries, prompting USPS to extend hours and create dedicated postmark lines.
The United States Postal Service is set to raise its rates starting October 4, 2026. This adjustment affects various mailing and shipping services, impacting both individual consumers and businesses. The change follows a period of rising operational costs and aims to address financial pressures within the postal system.
The Justice Department charged Damon Matai Seei, a former Utah postal worker, with destroying over 300 mail-in ballots in a church dumpster during the June primary. While Seei pleaded not guilty and claimed he acted out of laziness, officials used the case to advocate for stricter mail-in voting regulations.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues to deliver free books to children worldwide, with the USPS handling 40 million shipments annually in the U.S. alone. Following Parton’s death in August, the program has seen a surge in new enrollments. In the UK, the scheme is expanding to double its coverage in London, while Seattle is marking September 25 as Dolly Parton Day to honor her legacy.
A former Utah postal worker faces federal charges for discarding over 300 mail-in ballots in a church dumpster during the June primary. While the defendant claims he acted out of 'laziness' to lighten his workload, the Justice Department used the case to advocate for stricter mail-in voting rules and criticize court blocks on those regulations.
A 34-year-old USPS employee in Utah has been charged with destroying approximately 300 mail-in ballots during the June 2026 primary. The worker admitted to discarding the ballots in a dumpster out of frustration and laziness, not political motive. Federal officials announced the charges in Washington, D.C., emphasizing election integrity ahead of the November midterms.
A Supreme Court ruling blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to curb vote-by-mail for the midterms, preserving mail-in voting but leaving the legal path unsettled and mounting doubts about implementation; experts warn the controversy could depress turnout, even as universal vote-at-home states show higher participation when ballots are well-managed, and opponents are likely to press the issue again.
A GAO report finds USPS cost-cutting measures have slowed mail delivery beyond its lowered targets: shifting some transportation from air to ground added one to two days for some first-class mail, and about 24,000 post offices could lose afternoon collections when far from processing centers, disproportionately affecting rural communities and raising ballot-day concerns ahead of the midterms, even as USPS promises improvements and the GAO calls for a clearer plan in the 2027 strategy.
USPS’s top IT official says work on a Trump-era system to compile citizenship lists for mail ballots has been halted; the initiative drew whistleblower criticism, and the Supreme Court rejected the policy for this election, with a memo saying the agency won’t enforce those rules in 2026. USPS says it will continue essential mail delivery and urges voters to submit ballots early amid ongoing postmark-delay concerns.
The Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s emergency bid to lift a lower-court injunction blocking a USPS rule that would mandate certain mail-ballot envelope design and data uploads ahead of the 2026 midterms, leaving the rule blocked for now. Justice Kavanaugh suggested there is likely statutory authority for the rule, while Justices Alito and Thomas dissented, signaling the policy could survive in court and potentially take effect before 2028 if litigation allows. Democratic state attorneys general argued the rule violates the Elections Clause; for 2026, ballots will go out under existing rules, with ongoing litigation potentially reopening the issue in the future.
After the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration’s bid to impose new USPS mail‑in ballot rules before the November 2026 midterms, nothing changes for voters: states will continue with existing mail‑in voting practices. The piece explains why Trump pushed restrictions, how mail‑in voting varies by state (all‑mail in some states, requires an excuse in others), what the USPS rule would have required (envelope logos, barcodes, and a voter list portal), and offers practical guidance: check your state’s rules and deadlines, request ballots early, sign and track your ballot, consider dropping off ballots, and if needed, vote in person and present your mail ballot for cancellation or spoilage.
After the Supreme Court allowed mail-in voting to continue, Trump hints at using federal power to influence the midterms, prompting election officials to brace for interference, legal challenges, and new rules—such as USPS ballot envelope standards and voter-list access—that escalate the battle over who runs federal elections.
The Supreme Court issued terse orders in two mail-ballot disputes—blocking USPS restrictions for now but leaving major questions about federal authority and election integrity, with justices hinting at possible future USPS control and ongoing litigation ahead of the 2028 cycle.
President Trump blasted the Supreme Court after it blocked his mail-in ballot plan, accusing his three nominated justices—Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett—of being a 'shell' of their former selves while keeping USPS changes on hold ahead of the election; Justices Alito and Thomas dissented, as Trump hinted at pursuing future actions despite the setback.