The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has proposed a new rule tied to President Donald Trump’s March 2026 executive order on elections, while legal challenges to the order continue moving through federal courts.
This is a proposed rule. It is not final. Nothing has changed about how Michigan voters cast absentee ballots right now. Michigan voters can continue using existing absentee voting procedures under current state law.
According to the proposal, state election officials would be required to provide USPS with lists of voters who have requested absentee or mail ballots before those ballots are mailed. States would have to provide those lists at least 30 days before ballots are sent, and USPS would be directed not to deliver ballots to voters whose names do not appear on them. States would also be permitted to submit updated voter information after the initial list is provided.
If implemented, the proposal would give USPS a role in determining whether some mail ballots can be delivered. Traditionally, USPS has been responsible for delivering election mail and providing guidance to election officials on mail processing, ballot design, and delivery timelines, while state and local election officials administer elections and determine voter eligibility and ballot distribution.
The proposal stems from President Trump’s March 2026 executive order addressing voter eligibility verification, mail ballot procedures, and election administration. Among other provisions, the order directs federal agencies to take actions related to election administration and mail voting.
Legal Challenges Continue
Just one day before USPS published the proposed rule, a federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., denied requests for preliminary injunctions blocking portions of the executive order.
The court did not rule on whether the executive order is lawful. Instead, the judge found that because the challenged policies had not yet been implemented, the plaintiffs had not demonstrated a risk of immediate harm necessary to obtain preliminary relief.
Additional legal challenges remain active, including lawsuits brought by states and voting rights organizations. Plaintiffs argue that the executive order unlawfully interferes with state authority over election administration and that the President does not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally change mail voting procedures established under state law. Courts have not yet ruled on those arguments.
What Michigan Voters Should Know
At this time, the proposed USPS rule does not change how voters cast absentee ballots in Michigan or elsewhere. The proposal is still under review, and litigation over related election policies is ongoing.
Michigan voters can continue using the absentee voting options currently available to them. Eligible voters may request an absentee ballot, return it by mail, return it to their local clerk’s office, or use an official secure ballot drop box where available.
VAAC encourages absentee voters to use secure ballot drop boxes whenever possible. Returning a ballot through an official drop box allows it to be delivered directly to election officials and avoids relying on mail delivery timelines.
Michigan voters can contact their local clerk or visit the Michigan Department of State website to find ballot drop box locations and learn more about absentee voting options. On the Michigan Department of State website, voters can go to “Your voter information,” then select “Where are my ballot drop boxes?” to enter their information and locate drop box locations.
Take Action: Submit Public Comments by July 2
The proposed USPS rule is currently open for public comment. Public comment gives organizations and individuals an opportunity to respond before any rule is finalized. Coalition partners are encouraging organizations and individuals to submit comments before the July 2 deadline. The more comments that are submitted, the clearer the message to USPS: Hands Off Our Votes.
If access to absentee voting is important to you, you can submit a comment explaining why voting by mail is useful in your life or community and why USPS should not adopt the proposed rule. Comments can be brief. For example, voters may choose to describe why they value having the option to vote absentee and why eligible voters should continue to have access to secure and effective mail voting.
Comments must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET on Thursday, July 2 by email to PCFederalRegister@usps.gov with the subject line “Ballot Mail.” Emailed comments must include the name and address of the commenter.
Not sure what to say? These public comments are most useful when they are written in your own words. You do not need to write a long comment. You can explain how absentee voting helps you, your family, or your community, and why you believe eligible voters should continue to have access to secure and reliable mail voting.
You may want to include:
- How you use absentee voting or why the option is important to you.
- Whether mail voting helps because of work, caregiving, disability, transportation, age, military service, rural distance, or another access need.
- Any concern that errors, outdated information, or administrative problems could keep eligible voters from receiving their ballots.
- Why you believe USPS should focus on reliable ballot delivery and leave voter eligibility and ballot distribution decisions to state and local election officials.
For more specific guidance, email contact@votingaccessforall.org with the subject line “USPS Public Comment Guidance.”
Why This Is Important
Mail voting remains a widely used part of election administration across the country. Research has consistently found that voting by mail is a secure and effective way for eligible voters to cast their ballots. According to States United Democracy Center, nearly one-third of Americans voted by mail in the 2024 general election, accounting for more than 48 million votes.
The proposal remains under review, and litigation over related election policies is ongoing. Nothing has changed about absentee voting in Michigan, and voters should continue following current Michigan absentee voting procedures.
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