More than 22 million registered voters in California could be caught in the middle of a growing fight between the Trump administration and state officials.
The nation’s top postal official has confirmed a proposal is being weighed that could block the delivery of mail ballots in states that refuse to share voter data with the federal government.
Postmaster General David Steiner told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee the US Postal Service would not deliver mail ballots under a proposed federal rule if a state declined to provide absentee voter information requested by Washington, DC.
“If a state refuses to turn their absentee voter list over to the federal government, will the Postal Service still mail their ballots under this proposed rule?” Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) asked during the hearing Wednesday.
Postmaster General David Steiner said the US Postal Service would not deliver mail ballots under a proposed new rule. ZUMAPRESS.com
“Under our proposed regulation, no,” Steiner replied.
The proposal stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March directing the Postal Service to develop regulations requiring states to provide lists of eligible voters at least 60 days before federal elections.
The administration argues the measure would help ensure ballots are sent only to eligible voters amid concerns about potential mail voting fraud.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the US Postal Service proposal aligns with President Trump’s agenda of ensuring “the safety and security of American elections.
“The President has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting,” she said.
“The Administration remains confident that the Executive Order will be implemented by the November election, which was always the intent when it was signed.”
Alex Reynolds says she was alarmed to receive election mail for her mother after the family filed her death certificate shortly following her death in July 2025. Rafael Fontoura for CA Post
Steve Brown says election mail is still arriving in his late wife’s name five years after her death. Rafael Fontoura for CA Post
Steiner defended the proposal during the hearing, saying the goal was to make sure “the right ballots are going to the right people.”
The impact would be significant in California because every active registered voter automatically receives a mail ballot without requesting an “absentee” ballot every year.
Election data expert Paul Mitchell said he believes any attempt to withhold ballot delivery would face legal challenges. Getty Images
About 80% of voters choose to vote by mail, with more ballots processed than anywhere else in the U.S. — meaning millions of ballots could theoretically be affected if state officials refuse to comply with the federal requirement on constitutional, legal or privacy grounds.
Political consultant Matt Klink said the requirement is a reasonable step to bolster confidence in elections.
“It’s remarkable that some states, blue states, trust the Postal Service to deliver millions of ballots but don’t trust anyone to verify who receives them,” Klink told The California Post.
“Confidence in elections requires more than asking voters to simply take the government’s word for it.” Klink argued that providing voter information to the government should not be viewed as a partisan issue.
“Voting is a constitutional right, but only for eligible voters,” he said. “Asking states to share voter data to protect election integrity is a commonsense safeguard, not a partisan attack.”
However, election data expert Paul Mitchell said he believes any attempt to withhold ballot delivery would quickly face legal challenges.
“This is going to have to result in a lawsuit, that the federal government would lose,” Mitchell said.
He argued that election administration is a state responsibility and questioned whether the federal government could lawfully use the Postal Service to influence how states conduct elections.
“States administer elections,” Mitchell said. “The US Postal Service is a creation of the US Constitution and it would degrade Americans’ constitutional rights to have a president refuse the same services to residents of different states over a state-run part of our government — elections.”
Mitchell warned that if implemented, California could be forced to dramatically expand ballot drop boxes, voting centers and in-person polling locations to prevent voter participation from plummeting.
“If somehow the post office did become a political tool of the administration in this way, it would have a dramatic impact on the election,” he said. “It could be a massive cost to the state to try and fairly administer the election in a way that doesn’t dramatically reduce voter turnout — in red and blue areas.”
The proposal has also drawn criticism from Democrats who argue the administration is attempting to insert the federal government into an area traditionally overseen by states.
He added that officials could even be forced to explore unusual alternatives for ballot delivery if mail service became unavailable.
California Sen. Alex Padilla, the state’s former secretary of state, blasted the plan and warned it could jeopardize voting access nationwide.
Mitchell warned that if the rule were ever implemented, California could be forced to expand ballot drop boxes. REUTERS
The proposed regulation is currently undergoing a 30-day public comment period. REUTERS
Officials could even be forced to explore unusual alternatives for ballot delivery if mail service became unavailable. AFP via Getty Images
“Tens of millions of eligible voters could be prevented from voting by mail if states do not fully submit to this new federal mandate,” Padilla said in a statement criticizing the proposal.
Democrats on the Senate panel also questioned whether the Postal Service has legal authority to enforce election-related requirements. Steiner acknowledged during the hearing that the agency does not administer elections but maintained the proposal is intended as a procedural safeguard.
“I would think that states would want the information to ensure that the ballots that they think they’re sending out are the ballots that are actually getting sent out,” he said.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) urged Steiner to reject the effort, telling him: “Please push back on being a pawn in this authoritarian playbook. The Postal Service is one of the most important institutions in our country. Don’t taint it with the obsession of this one man.”
The proposed regulation is currently undergoing a 30-day public comment period.
Under Trump’s executive order, the Postal Service is expected to issue a final rule by the end of July, setting the stage for what could become a major legal showdown between Washington and states such as California ahead of future federal elections.
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This federal crackdown comes at a time of widespread criticism of California’s election system, with critics pointing to the state’s prolonged ballot counting timelines to allege widespread mail-in voter fraud.
The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into allegations of voter fraud in California.
Federal agents descended on Skid Row in downtown LA last week following allegations that the homeless had been paid to vote in the June 2 primary. The FBI probe followed the emergence of shocking videos the week after Election Day of Skid Row residents claiming they were paid to vote for incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman.
Election experts claim the count takes weeks because California prioritizes voter access, enforcing fewer restrictions by accepting any ballot postmarked by Election Day and legally requiring a meticulous signature-verification process for millions of mail-in envelopes.
