Democratic lawmakers sharply criticized Postmaster General David Steiner on Wednesday, June 24, after he said the U.S. Postal Service could refuse to deliver mail ballots to states that decline to share voter lists with the federal government. House Democrats argued that Steiner’s demand would pressure states into surrendering sensitive voter information and could restrict access to absentee voting, calling it “unacceptable” and “blatantly illegal” and warning that it could “reduce participation in our democracy.” The USPS’ demand for voter information stems from President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order aimed at reshaping election administration and mail voting rules ahead of the 2026 midterms.
House Democrats rage at ‘unacceptable’ USPS proposal
During testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Steiner was asked whether USPS will continue delivering mail ballots to states that refuse to provide absentee voter lists to the Trump administration. “No,” Steiner responded. “We would tell the state that we need the manifest.”
The answer prompted an immediate rebuke from Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the committee’s ranking Democrat. Peters argued that the proposal would effectively force states to turn over voter information controlled by state authority. “This is basically a back-door way for the federal government to get voting information that states control under the U.S. Constitution,” Peters said. “You’re telling the states, ‘Give the federal government this information. Trust the federal government. Trust the Trump administration. We’ll take good care of these.’ And if you don’t do it, you can’t mail absentee ballots.’ You are going to make a decision that people cannot vote by mail. That’s unacceptable.”
Democrats call the proposal ‘illegal’
Sen. Margaret Hassan of New Hampshire joined the criticism, arguing that the policy would exceed federal authority and undermine participation in elections. She described the proposal as “blatantly illegal” and warned it could “reduce participation in our democracy.” Hassan also demanded that Steiner withdraw the proposal “immediately.”
The USPS proposal centers on Trump’s executive order: Ensuring Citizen Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections. Issued on March 31, the directive ordered federal agencies to help create lists of verified U.S. citizens eligible to vote by mail, instructed USPS to send absentee ballots only to approved voters and called for ballot-tracking measures, including unique barcodes on mail-ballot envelopes.
Lawsuits challenge Donald Trump’s ‘unconstitutional’ election order
Trump’s executive order triggered multiple lawsuits from Democratic-led states and voting-rights organizations. Critics contend that the measure exceeds presidential authority because the Constitution gives states primary responsibility for administering elections, while Congress sets national election standards. Previously, a federal judge in Massachusetts allowed key legal challenges to proceed. Among the plaintiffs are the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the League of Women Voters, the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, the U.S. Vote Foundation, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
In a statement, the groups said Trump’s order is “plainly unconstitutional, yet the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security are actively working to implement it.” They added that implementation of the order “threatens to disenfranchise untold numbers of American citizens, including elderly, disabled and student voters and voters of color who rely on mail-in balloting.”
Other voting-rights advocates echo those concerns. Marcia Johnson, chief of activation and justice at the League of Women Voters, said this month, “Mail voting helps millions of Americans participate in our democracy, including seniors, voters with disabilities, military families, students, caregivers and working people. No president has the authority to unilaterally rewrite election rules or dictate how states administer their elections. The League will continue to fight for and defend every voter’s freedom to make their voice heard.”
Donald Trump’s continued disdain for mail voting
The dispute comes amid Trump’s continued campaign against mail voting. Since returning to office in January 2025, he has made tighter voting restrictions a central part of his election-integrity agenda. “Mail-in voting is totally corrupt — get that through your head, it has to be,” Trump said during a Michigan rally in February 2024. During a later interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, he added, “Anytime you have a mail-in ballot, there is going to be massive fraud.”
Notably, election officials from both parties have consistently said widespread voter fraud remains rare. Nevertheless, Trump has continued to press for restrictions. In a Truth Social post last week, the president voiced opposition for Utah’s move toward an all-mail voting system, claiming votes “always head LEFT, as soon as the move is made.”