Athena Strategies President Kathy Boockvar was recently interviewed by Votebeat regarding a proposed new rule issued by the U.S. Postal Service. This rule attempts to carry out a portion of the Trump administration’s 2026 elections executive order — purporting to federalize mail ballot eligibility determinations ahead of the midterms, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and scores of state and federal laws.
Under the proposed rule, states would be mandated to submit lists of all registered voters to whom they would plan to send a ballot by mail, and outgoing and incoming envelopes would have to be redesigned and reprinted to carry a unique Postal Service barcode. The proposed Rule appears to unilaterally vest the USPS with authority to reject or block delivery of a ballot if the data is missing, delayed, or mismatched – in violation of state and federal law.
Beyond the legal violations, the announcement has drawn immediate concern from election administrators and nonpartisan experts over the operational and financial burdens it places on local jurisdictions. Boockvar stressed that last-minute rule changes compound the struggles of election officials who are already underfunded, understaffed, and overworked — and that imposing sweeping operational overhauls without adequate support or time ultimately harms the electorate.
“Especially in situations like this, where there is no funding being provided and no time for election officials and voters to absorb the required changes, this means that voters will bear the brunt of a poorly planned, last minute attempt to upend electoral processes,” Boockvar said. “You can’t just snap your fingers and change how elections are run overnight.”
The draft regulations are currently subject to a 30-day public comment period before they can move forward. Additionally, there are several legal challenges pending in Federal court opposing the underlying Executive order.
Read the full story on Votebeat: USPS proposal to carry out Trump’s executive order could create new barriers to mail voting