David Steiner, the Postmaster General, told lawmakers on Wednesday that the United States Postal Service will halt delivery of mail-in ballots in states that refuse to provide sensitive voter information to the federal government, in accordance with a proposed rule supported by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Steiner justified the proposed policy while appearing before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, saying the goal is to make sure election ballots are delivered only to eligible recipients, after Democrats in the Senate voiced concerns about the potential impact of the plan.
“If a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposal rule?” Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the committee’s top Democrat, asked Steiner.
“Under our proposed regulation, no,” Steiner replied.
In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the agency to develop a rule that would require states to provide the Postal Service with lists of eligible voters at least 60 days before federal elections, as part of efforts to address suspected fraud linked to mail-in voting.
Democrats argued that the proposed policy reflects an attempt by President Donald Trump to increase federal control over elections and questioned whether the Postal Service has the legal authority to implement such a measure, noting that under the Constitution, election administration remains the responsibility of individual states.
Steiner acknowledged that the Postal Service does not have the constitutional responsibility to oversee elections, but maintained that the proposed rule is intended only as an administrative safeguard to help ensure mail-in ballots are delivered exclusively to eligible voters.
“I would think that states would want the information to ensure that the ballots that they think they’re sending out are the ballots that are actually getting sent out,” Steiner said.
He also stressed that the Postal Service would continue to follow any court rulings or legal directives that regulate the use of mail-in voting.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin criticised the proposal, saying it appeared to be an attempt by President Donald Trump to expand federal involvement in the management of elections, and appealed to Steiner to reject the plan.
“Please push back on being a pawn in this authoritarian playbook,” she said to Steiner. “The Postal Service is one of the most important institutions in our country. Don’t taint it with the obsession of this one man.”
