USPS Whistleblower Alleges Agency Defies Court Orders on Mail-In Ballot System
CenterRigor 5369 sources
The Story
A U.S. Postal Service official filed a whistleblower report Tuesday morning, published by Senator Richard Blumenthal's office, alleging the agency is moving forward with a secretive, rushed effort to implement President Trump's order on mail voting. This effort is allegedly occurring despite a court order blocking those plans. Judge Indira Talwani denied requests by the Trump administration and Republican-led states to pause her block on key parts of the new USPS mail-ballot rules, leaving a 14-day Temporary Restraining Order in place. A hearing on a longer injunction is set for September 3. The whistleblower asserts the risky and haphazard implementation of Mr. Trump's order could lead to a catastrophic failure in the mail ballot system ahead of this year's midterm elections. The report said the agency planned to complete the new digital system overseeing mail ballots by September 1. The new system is designed to comply with President Trump's executive order to exert more federal control over mail-in voting. The whistleblower warns that potentially millions of American voters may not receive their mail-in ballot this election cycle in a timely manner or at all. The disclosure also alleges the Postal Service continued developing the system despite a federal court order to stop. The system was built in weeks, not the nine months to a year normally needed. Multiple USPS officials described the system as a shit show that, as of late August, was apt to completely crash. Under the proposed system, states would report voter information with a unique barcode on each mail-in ballot. Postal workers would only deliver ballots to voters on the state-provided list. If one barcode on a single ballot in a bulk-mailing of 10,000 ballots fails to scan, the entire batch is rejected and sent back to the state, stopping ballots from being mailed. A Postal Service spokesperson stated the agency is carefully reviewing the concerns, welcomes oversight, and is committed to transparency.
The Spread
Left
What they agree on
- A U.S. Postal Service official filed a whistleblower report alleging the agency is implementing President Trump's mail-in voting order despite a court order blocking it.
- The whistleblower report, published by Senator Richard Blumenthal's office, warns of a "secretive, rushed" effort that could lead to "catastrophic failure" in the mail ballot system.
- Judge Indira Talwani denied requests to pause her block on key parts of the new USPS mail-ballot rules, maintaining a 14-day Temporary Restraining Order.
- The new system involves unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as barcodes, and requires states to report voter information.
- The Postal Service stated it is "carefully reviewing the concerns" and that its work "has at all times been conducted in a manner consistent with court orders."
Where they split
- Some independent outlets like Townhall and Twitchy frame the story around "palace intrigue" and "election interference" accusations, including political commentary from figures like Gavin Newsom.
- US major outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post focus on the whistleblower's specific allegations regarding the rushed implementation and potential system failures.
- PBS NewsHour and Vox provide more detailed explanations of the new USPS rules and the potential impact on voters, including the risk of ballots being rejected en masse.
- Some outlets, such as Mother Jones, frame the events as part of a broader "crusade to undermine American democracy" or a "plot to disrupt mail-in voting."