The Postal Service’s Mail Ballot Mess: A Recipe for Disenfranchisement

The U.S. Postal Service’s new online portal for mail ballots has raised concerns among whistleblowers and election officials. At its core, the issue highlights the problems with federal overreach in election administration.

Whistleblowers within the Postal Service have warned of “potentially catastrophic problems” with the new system, which is backed by lawyers who have reviewed the evidence. The allegations suggest a hasty and ill-conceived implementation that could disenfranchise millions of Americans. Critics argue that the Constitution gives states the authority to set election rules, not the federal government.

The fact that six states conduct their elections entirely by mail, while four others send ballots to all voters, indicates a clear preference for this voting method among citizens. However, the new Postal Service rule imposing design standards on mail ballot envelopes and requiring state election officials to submit voter information through an online portal is seen as overreach.

Critics, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, have described the Postal Service’s actions as “sabotage.” Most states led by Democrats oppose this rule, adding fuel to the controversy.

A System Designed for Failure

The whistleblower disclosure reveals a system with several problems. For instance, if even one barcode on a single ballot in a batch doesn’t scan properly, the entire batch is rejected and returned to state election officials. This process could delay ballots by the thousands, preventing states from mailing out large numbers of ballots.

The Root of the Problem: Federal Overreach

This debacle is not just about technical incompetence; it’s about a fundamental misunderstanding of how elections should be administered in this country. The Trump administration’s push for federal control over mail voting rules has been met with resistance from both Democratic-led states and civil rights groups.

The Supreme Court’s recent intervention in the case brought by 23 Democratic-led states against key provisions of Mr. Trump’s executive order is a stark reminder that this issue is not just about politics, but also about the Constitution. The lower court’s decision to block enforcement of these provisions was overturned, highlighting the contentious nature of federal involvement in election administration.

The implications of this fiasco go far beyond technical issues or even elections themselves. It speaks to a broader pattern of overreach and disregard for the Constitution by the Trump administration. The fact that millions of Americans could be disenfranchised due to these errors is a stark reminder of the consequences of such actions.

The whistleblower’s allegations have been passed on to Postmaster General David Steiner, who must now take action to address these concerns. Sen. Blumenthal’s letter urging the Postal Service to walk back its new mail-voting plans for the upcoming elections is a welcome call to action. The real question now is whether the Biden administration will continue down this path of federal overreach or chart a different course.

As we head into the November midterm elections, one thing is clear: the integrity of our electoral system depends on the ability of states to set their own rules without interference from Washington. The Postal Service’s mail ballot mess is a stark reminder that we need to get this right, and fast.