US Postal Service faces scrutiny over mail-in ballot system and voting restrictions

A whistleblower report released by Senator Richard Blumenthal warns that the US Postal Service’s mail-in ballot portal is untested and contains defects, posing a risk of “catastrophic failure” during the upcoming midterm elections. The system is designed to cross-reference mail-in ballots with a nationwide database of registered voters, but the report describes the development process as “rushed,” “risky,” and “haphazard” due to deadlines imposed by the Trump administration.

Investigations into the administration’s efforts to restrict mail-in voting reveal that the White House initially proposed requiring all ballots to be sent via certified mail, a move that would have required voters to sign for delivery. This proposal was abandoned following objections from Postal Service officials regarding its impossibility.

Despite the abandonment of the certified mail plan, a subsequent executive order issued in March has faced legal challenges. The order would grant postal workers authority to act as gatekeepers for ballot delivery and assigns oversight of the execution to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. A federal judge in Boston recently blocked the order, a decision the Justice Department is now seeking to review through the 1st Circuit US Court of Appeals and potentially the Supreme Court.