131 Legislators from 23 States Oppose Postal Service Proposed Rule on Ballot Mail
Lawmakers Unite to Defend Voters and State Authority, Opposing Rule that Would Make Sweeping Changes to Mail-In and Absentee Voting
Washington, DC — July 2 – State Senator Cora Neumann of Montana, leading a coalition of 131 state legislators from 23 states, filed a joint comment opposing the U.S. Postal Service's proposed rule on federal ballot mail. State Futures supported the effort.
State legislators write their states' election codes, set ballot deadlines, and fund the offices that run elections. Their comment stresses that the Proposed Rule reaches into a domain the Constitution reserves to the states: how elections are run. It would let a federal agency dictate the terms on which a state may mail its own ballots, force state officials to feed every mail voter's information into a new federal portal without clear privacy safeguards, and impose costs the Postal Service never analyzed. Ballots failing the new standards could be returned undelivered, days before state deadlines – disenfranchising voters.
The concern was underscored last week, when a federal court issued an order prohibiting the Postal Service from implementing this rule, though the Postal Service can still appeal. Therefore it is critical for lawmakers to submit this comment, on the record, to stand together and demand accountability.
“State legislators from across the country are raising the alarm: the Postal Service bypassed the independent review its own statute requires to push a rule that would usurp the states' constitutional authority over elections,” said Gaby Goldstein, President of State Futures. “The Proposed Rule conflicts with state laws protecting survivors of domestic violence and other vulnerable voters, saddles states with costs the agency never analyzed, and would keep eligible voters from casting a ballot. Over 100 lawmakers are united in urging the Postal Service to withdraw it.”
Montana Senator Cora Neumann: “Elections belong to the people of our states and the legislators they elect — not to an unaccountable federal bureaucracy. State legislators are united in opposition to this Proposed Rule, and are linking hands across states to say that we will not stand by as state authority is eroded in service of authoritarian tactics.”
The full comment and signatories are available here.
Journalists are encouraged to reach out to State Futures for comment and for connections to signatories, including Sen. Neumann.
About State Futures:
State Futures is a national nonprofit that supports a network of 850+ values-aligned state policymakers, including legislators and State Financial Officers. Through working groups, policy research, and strategic support, State Futures empowers state policymakers to learn from each other, innovate together, and take coordinated action across states.
Media Contact: Kristen Wilder, Communications
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