Krishnamoorthi Demands Answers from USPS on Trump EO Threatening Mail Ballot Access Ahead of 2026 Midterms
WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi today sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner demanding immediate answers regarding President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing the United States Postal Service to restrict the delivery of absentee and mail ballots based on a federally compiled eligibility list and new ballot envelope requirements.
In the letter, Krishnamoorthi warns that the order would force USPS into an unprecedented and deeply troubling role in federal elections.
“These directives would place USPS in an unprecedented gatekeeping role — effectively determining which voters will receive ballots — despite longstanding constitutional principles that reserve election administration to the states and Congress.”
The letter raises serious concerns that requiring USPS to rely on federal citizenship databases and cross-reference state voter rolls could create administrative failures, delays, and confusion just months before the 2026 midterm elections.
“Moreover, requiring USPS—an entity with no traditional role in voter verification—to integrate and reconcile these disparate systems would impose significant administrative burdens, introduce new points of failure, and likely create delays or errors that could undermine voter confidence and disrupt election administration, particularly in the lead-up to high-turnout federal elections.”
Krishnamoorthi also noted that the executive order appears to rest on claims of widespread mail-ballot fraud that have repeatedly been disproven, with no credible evidence to support efforts to restrict ballot access through federal intervention. The letter further warns that involving USPS in determining voter eligibility would break sharply from its longstanding role as a neutral, nonpartisan carrier of election mail.
In the letter, Krishnamoorthi requested a detailed response to the following questions no later than Monday, April 20, 2026:
1. What legal analysis has USPS conducted regarding its authority—or lack thereof—to implement the directives contained in this executive order?
2. Has USPS received formal guidance from the Department of Justice or other federal agencies regarding compliance, and will USPS make that guidance available to Congress?
3. What operational changes would be required for USPS to implement these directives, and what are the projected impacts on mail delivery timelines nationwide?
4. What steps will USPS take to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised due to administrative errors, delayed updates, or conflicts with state election laws?
5. Will USPS commit to maintaining its longstanding role as a neutral carrier of election mail and decline any responsibilities that require the agency to determine voter eligibility?
The letter is available here.