The United States Postal Service released a final rule on August 23, 2026, adding verification requirements to mail-in ballots, but federal court injunctions block the agency from implementing the new guidelines before the November midterm elections. Under the rule, states would be required to collect and report basic voter information—including names and home addresses—attached to unique barcodes on every mail-in ballot distributed, according to ABC News. State election authorities would then input this information into a “federal ballot mail portal” before ballots are accepted into the mail stream.
The USPS said it would not deliver ballots to any state not in compliance with these changes. However, two preliminary injunctions issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani—one on June 25 and another on August 11—bar the Postal Service from implementing the rule for elections held on or before November 3, 2026, according to Time. The judge found the underlying executive order likely unconstitutional and concluded that “the executive branch has no authority to regulate elections,” Time reported.
The rule was created to implement President Donald Trump’s March 31, 2026 executive order titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” That order directed the Postal Service to refuse delivery of mail ballots to voters not appearing on federally-compiled lists. A U.S. appeals court upheld the district judge’s injunction in July, keeping any changes to mail-in ballots on hold while litigation continues, according to ABC News.
USPS acknowledged in its rule that it would not implement the final requirements for the 2026 election unless the government obtains relief from both injunctions. The agency said the rule will be officially published on August 26, 2026. The final rule falls considerably short of Trump’s original executive order demands, which would have established statewide voter citizenship lists drawn from Social Security or immigration databases and directed the USPS to coordinate with federal law enforcement for investigations of suspected unlawful use of mail involving federal election materials.
Under the final rule, “no other voter information, such as birthdate, social security number, or other voter registration details, will be uploaded to the Portal,” according to ABC News. USPS stated that it would not play any role in determining voter eligibility, maintaining voter rolls, or counting ballots. The rule does say, however, that data collected “will help to facilitate enforcement of federal law,” and it will provide federal law enforcement with a list of individuals to whom states planned to mail ballots along with associated barcode data.
Voting-rights organizations have filed emergency motions asking the federal court to enforce the August 11 injunction, arguing that issuing an immediately effective final rule intended for possible use in November violated the court order. The plaintiffs, including the League of Women Voters, the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, and the U.S. Vote Foundation, contend that the rule could sow “chaos” and “confusion” ahead of the election. The Trump Administration has asked the Supreme Court to stay both injunctions while its appeal proceeds, but unless the court acts, the injunctions remain in effect through the midterms.
Critics argue that the rule represents an attempt to shift postal workers from neutral transporters of a state-led voting process to federal gatekeepers of states’ outbound mail ballots. Michael McNulty, senior policy director for the government-reform nonprofit Issue One, stated that the rule would “weaponize USPS as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to take over elections.” Supporters of the executive order counter that enhanced tracking and verification of ballots improves election integrity and operational efficiency.
Sources
- ABC News — reported USPS release of final rule requiring voter information and barcodes on mail-in ballots, court injunction blocking implementation, official publication date of August 26, and appeals court upholding the injunction in July
- Time — detailed the two injunctions issued by Judge Indira Talwani, the constitutional grounds for blocking the rule, USPS acknowledgment it will not implement without court relief, and voting-rights organizations’ emergency motion
- White House — published the March 31, 2026 Executive Order on mail-in voting requirements and citizenship verification
