A judge temporarily blocked the agency from implementing a strict new rule governing mail voting. The policy could disproportionately affect Democrats and many battleground elections.
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Postal Service rule could bar millions from voting as Trump executive order stalls mail voting
The ongoing tug-of-war over mail voting reveals the slow erosion of access that comes not from a single sweeping act, but from a thousand paper cuts. The Postal Service rule change threatens to bar millions from voting by mail, a method relied upon by many who cannot easily make it to polling stations. Meanwhile, efforts to stall mail voting through executive orders are stuck in bureaucratic limbo, but the delay itself is a victory for those who prefer fewer ballots cast. The strategy is incremental: make it technically possible, but practically difficult. This is not about outright bans; it's about hurdles, deadlines, and gatekeepers, all adding up to a democracy that quietly shrinks. The receipts show the playbook: restrict, stall, and let attrition do the work. In the end, the stakes are as clear as the numbers—millions lose access, and the winners are the ones who write the rules.
“Every time they change the rules, it's fewer people voting. That's the game, plain as day. The Postal Service makes the mail harder and Trump tries to freeze it, so who's left? Folks with a stamp collection and a private courier.”
“There's nothing wrong with making sure voting is secure. If people can't vote by mail, they can just show up in person, right? Wait, are we saying millions can't? I mean, maybe that's a big number, but it's not my number. Did I say that? That doesn't sound like me.”
The receipts
CBS News election analyst David Becker told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that there is "simply no time" to put in place President Trump's executive order restricting mail voting. "I think for 2026, this is almost certainly not…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.