USPS Misses Sept. 6 Mail Ballot Portal Launch as DOJ Seeks Supreme Court Enforcement
Updated
Updated · Democracy Docket · Sep 11
USPS Misses Sept. 6 Mail Ballot Portal Launch as DOJ Seeks Supreme Court Enforcement
3 articles · Updated · Democracy Docket · Sep 11
Summary
USPS told a federal judge it expected to open its mail ballot compliance portal during the week of Sept. 6, but the system was still unavailable Friday evening.
The portal is central to the new rule because states and counties must use it to verify ballot-envelope designs and submit voter eligibility lists for mail voting.
Talwani’s order currently bars USPS from rejecting election mail from noncompliant jurisdictions, but DOJ is asking the Supreme Court to lift that block even as thousands of ballots have already been mailed.
A Florida county’s envelope was initially rejected over a 0.014-inch spacing issue, underscoring how strict the standards are and how existing ballot stock could be at risk if the rule takes effect.
The American Postal Workers Union told the Court that employees who would review envelopes and voter data have not yet been trained on the still-missing portal.