California, other states warn Supreme Court of 'chaos' if it lets USPS mail ballot rules stand

Key Points:

• California and 23 other states, along with the District of Columbia, warned the U.S. Supreme Court that allowing the U.S. Postal Service to implement President Trump's new mail ballot rules could cause chaos and disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the November midterm elections.
• The new rules require states to submit complete voter lists and use individualized barcoded ballot envelopes, with the Postal Service rejecting ballots that do not match these lists, a process critics say is unworkable and risks excluding eligible voters.
• The Democrat-led coalition and independent voting rights groups sued to block the changes, arguing that the federal government lacks authority over state-run elections and that the timeline makes compliance impossible before the election.
• The Trump administration appealed a lower court injunction halting the rules, claiming the changes are necessary to prevent voter fraud, despite expert consensus and evidence showing no widespread mail-in voter fraud.
• A Postal Service whistleblower raised concerns about the agency's ability to implement the rules accurately, and election experts warn the changes threaten to disenfranchise vulnerable voters, with a Supreme Court decision expected soon.