California, other states sue again to block new rules for mail ballots

Key Points:

• California and 23 other Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit to block new U.S. Postal Service rules on mail ballots, arguing the changes unlawfully interfere with state election authority and risk voter privacy ahead of the November election.
• The Postal Service’s 95-page final rule, issued to comply with President Trump’s March executive order, mandates states submit voter lists with personal data and use barcoded ballot envelopes to identify invalid ballots, raising concerns over federal overreach and data security.
• Trump’s executive order and the Postal Service rules aim to combat alleged voter fraud, including noncitizen voting, claims election experts say lack evidence and are viewed by critics as politically motivated attempts to undermine voting rights.
• The lawsuit follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the Postal Service to proceed with rule implementation but not ruling on their legality; states and voting rights groups continue to challenge the rules in court.
• The Postal Service defends the changes as necessary for election security and manageable in cost and logistics, while critics warn the rules create risks of disenfranchisement, voter suppression, and vulnerabilities to foreign interference.