The Untold Origins of Trump's Plan to Sharply Restrict Mail-In Voting
6 hours ago
- Supreme Court blocked Trump's executive order on mail voting; initial proposal required certified mail delivery, which was abandoned due to Postal Service objections.
- Trump administration excluded Postal Service from key discussions, with Commerce Secretary Lutnick overseeing implementation despite lacking authority over the agency.
- Postal Service Board of Governors feared Trump retaliation if they challenged the order, so they remained silent and relied on courts to block it.
- White House team led by J. Brian Sikma pushed for measures like voter list matching to reject ballots, which could disenfranchise voters.
- Postal workers were to act as gatekeepers, rejecting ballots for various reasons; union president called it a 'terrible idea' aimed at creating chaos.
- Final executive order required ballot envelope changes and tracking systems that would have been impossible to implement for midterms.
- Four lawsuits were filed; Supreme Court ruling in June 2026 allowed Trump to remove agency leaders, making board members cautious.