By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) – The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General said on Tuesday it plans to conduct an independent review of allegations from a whistleblower who has warned proposed USPS mail-in voting restrictions could result in thousands of legal ballots being discarded.
On Friday, a federal judge in Boston extended a ban stopping President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing a new USPS rule that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the November congressional elections.
Last week, President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court to let it enforce the new USPS rule on use of mail-in ballots.
Lawmakers have urged USPS to halt work on new mail-in voting rules, saying they threaten the integrity of the November congressional elections. They cited a whistleblower who warned that USPS’ planned “verification” systems “risk collapsing the absentee ballot system and disenfranchising millions of Americans.”
The USPS regulation would impose new voter-specific data and ballot envelope standards, and potentially refuse the delivery of ballots that do not comply, which critics say could disrupt thousands of legitimate votes as the November 3 vote approaches.
Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of Congress in the elections. Critics say restricting mail-in ballots would disproportionately benefit Republicans given that Democratic voters traditionally have been more likely to use mail-in ballots.
Under the new USPS rule, states must provide lists of mail ballot recipients to the postal service and use agency-approved outbound and return ballot mail envelopes outfitted with unique barcodes. The postal service could then refuse to send out ballots that do not comply with the new standards or are associated with voters who do not appear on the lists.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
