Gov Josh Shapiro joins 23 states, DC suing USPS over Trump mail-ballot rule

Key Points:

• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is joining 23 states and Washington, D.C., in suing the U.S. Postal Service over a Trump-backed mail-in ballot rule imposing new federal requirements on mail ballots ahead of the November midterms.
• The lawsuit challenges USPS’s "Ballot Mail for Federal Elections" rule, which mandates election officials to share voter information with USPS, requires trackable barcodes on ballots, and pre-approval of ballot-envelope designs, arguing it unlawfully shifts election authority from states to the federal government.
• The coalition contends that only Congress has the power to change election rules and claims USPS bypassed required review processes for significant postal changes, seeking to block and ultimately invalidate the rule.
• The legal action follows the Supreme Court lifting an injunction against parts of Trump’s mail-voting order, with states asserting their new challenge addresses the Court’s previous concerns about timing and standing.
• The White House defends the rule as a measure to secure elections, while Shapiro emphasizes protecting Pennsylvania’s election integrity and maintaining state control over voting procedures.