According to the proposal, state election officials would be required to provide USPS with lists of voters who have requested absentee or mail ballots before those ballots are mailed. The proposed rule would direct USPS to use those lists when processing ballot mail for federal elections.

Under the proposal, states would have to provide USPS with a list of voters who requested mail ballots at least 30 days before ballots are sent. USPS would then be directed not to deliver ballots to voters whose names do not appear on those lists. States would also be permitted to submit updated voter information after the initial list is provided.

The proposal would give USPS a role in determining whether some mail ballots can be delivered. Traditionally, USPS has been responsible for delivering election mail and providing guidance to election officials on mail processing, ballot design, and delivery timelines, while state and local election officials administer elections and determine voter eligibility and ballot distribution.

The proposed rule follows President Trump’s March 2026 executive order addressing voter eligibility verification, mail ballot procedures, and election administration. Among other provisions, the order directs federal agencies to take actions related to election administration and mail voting.

Legal Challenges Continue

Just one day before USPS published the proposed rule, a federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., denied requests for preliminary injunctions blocking portions of the executive order.

The court did not rule on whether the executive order is lawful. Instead, the judge found that because the challenged policies had not yet been implemented, the plaintiffs had not demonstrated a risk of immediate harm necessary to obtain preliminary relief.

Additional legal challenges remain active. A separate case brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia is continuing in federal court, and voting rights organizations have also challenged portions of the executive order.

Why This Is Important

Mail voting remains a significant part of election administration across the country. According to data highlighted in a recent Campaign Legal Center briefing, nearly one-third of Americans voted by mail in the 2024 general election, accounting for more than 48 million votes.

At this time, the proposed rule does not change how voters cast absentee ballots in Michigan or elsewhere. The proposal is not yet final, and voters can continue using existing absentee voting procedures under current state law.

Several legal challenges to the executive order and related actions remain ongoing. Courts have not yet ruled on whether the proposed changes are lawful, and questions about implementation and federal authority remain unresolved.

VAAC encourages absentee voters to use secure ballot drop boxes whenever possible. Returning a ballot through an official drop box allows it to be delivered directly to election officials and avoids relying on mail delivery timelines.

Michigan voters can contact their local clerk or visit the Michigan Department of State website to find ballot drop box locations and learn more about absentee voting options. Find the “Your voter information” and click on “Where are my ballot drop boxes?” to enter your information to locate your drop box locations.

The post USPS Proposal Would Give Postal Service New Role in Mail Ballot Delivery Process appeared first on Voting Access For All.

The motion argues that the order is unconstitutional and would interfere with how states run elections, including how mail-in voting is administered.

WHAT THIS MEANS

This legal action is about preventing policies that could stop eligible voters from casting a ballot.

Mail-in voting is not a backup option for many people. It is how they vote.

In Michigan, millions of voters rely on mail-in voting. For people in jail who are legally eligible to vote, it is the only way to participate. For others facing barriers like transportation, housing instability, disability, or work constraints, it is often the most accessible option.

Efforts to restrict mail-in voting do not affect all voters equally. They create new barriers for people who already face challenges to participating.

BROADER CONTEXT

This Executive Order is part of a broader pattern of efforts to restrict access to voting.

Across Michigan and the country, proposals are advancing that would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. These policies would force people to provide documents like passports or birth certificates, creating barriers for eligible voters.

This is reflected in:
• Attempts at federal legislation like the SAVE Act
• State-level bills like HB 4765 in Michigan
• Ballot-driven efforts often referred to as “show your papers” requirements

These efforts, along with attempts to restrict mail-in voting, move in the same direction: making it harder for people to participate in elections and shaping outcomes before votes are cast.

In Michigan, voters choose our leaders, not the other way around. Policies that limit access to voting undermine that principle.

WHAT VAAC WANTS OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW

Mail-in voting remains a secure and reliable way to vote. States are responsible for running elections, and Michigan is actively challenging efforts that would interfere with that authority.

Mail-in voting is widely used across the country, including by elected officials. President Trump voted by mail in March 2026.

Recent actions targeting mail-in voting are not about how people vote. They are about whether people are able to vote at all.

It is important to stay informed, check your registration, and make a plan to vote.

The post Update: Michigan Attorney General Moves to Permanently Block Executive Order Targeting Mail-In Voting appeared first on Voting Access For All.

A coalition of civil rights and voting rights organizations, including Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and Mi Familia Vota, has filed suit to block the order, stating that it interferes with established election processes and limits access for eligible voters, especially those who rely on mail-in voting or have difficulty obtaining documentary proof of citizenship.

The lawsuit also states that the order would impose unlawful restrictions and introduce new barriers to voting.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Executive Order, arguing that it is unconstitutional, attempts to override state authority over elections, restricts voter eligibility, and directs USPS to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots only to voters on state-specific lists.

The case also includes California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

WHAT THIS MEANS

These legal challenges are centered on a core issue: who has the authority to run elections.

States determine how elections are conducted, including how mail-in voting works. The lawsuits argue that this order attempts to bypass that authority by creating federal citizenship lists and requiring USPS to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots only to voters on state-specific lists.

In Michigan, mail-in voting is widely used. State election data shows that over 2.2 million Michigan voters voted by mail in 2024, and more than 25% of active registered Michigan voters had joined the permanent vote-by-mail list.

Changes to mail-in voting policies would directly impact participation in elections, especially voters who depend on mail-in voting.

RESPONSE FROM MICHIGAN LEADERS

While Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is part of the multi-state lawsuit challenging the Executive Order, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that the will make it harder, will make it harder for eligible Michigan citizens to vote, and will be challenged in court.

Michigan elected officials across the state have also stated they will oppose efforts to restrict mail-in voting and defend current voting options.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has also raised concerns about proposals tied to the order, including the creation of a national voter list, and how those efforts could affect people’s ability to vote and data privacy.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Mail-in voting is not a secondary option for many voters.

For people in jail who are legally eligible to vote, it is the only way to cast a ballot.

For voters without reliable transportation, unstable housing, disabilities, or work constraints, mail-in voting is often the most accessible option.

Changes to mail-in voting do not affect all voters equally. They add new obstacles for people who already have difficulty participating.

WHAT VAAC WANTS OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW

Mail-in voting is secure and remains a reliable option. Elections are run by states, and state officials are responsible for how voting is administered. This executive order is an attempt to keep people from voting. Michigan is challenging it in court alongside other states and civil rights and voting rights organizations.

Check your registration (https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index), make a plan to vote, and stay connected with VAAC for further updates.

The post Update: Legal Challenges Filed Against Executive Order Targeting Mail-In Voting appeared first on Voting Access For All.

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order targeting mail-in voting, an action that could make it more difficult or impossible for eligible voters to cast a ballot and create confusion about how to vote.

This move is part of a broader effort to control who can vote and influence election outcomes before ballots are cast.

WHAT HAPPENED + LEGAL CONTEXT

By April 1, lawsuits were filed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Governors Association, and Democratic congressional leaders challenging the order.

Additional lawsuits were filed on April 2 by a broad coalition of civil rights and voting rights organizations:

• Brennan Center for Justice
• ACLU Nationwide
• ACLU Massachusetts
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• Advancing Justice – AAJC
• LatinoJustice PRLDEF

Representing:

• League of Women Voters Massachusetts
• League of Women Voters US
• Association of American Residents Overseas (AARO)
• U.S. Vote Foundation
• OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Similar efforts to influence elections through executive action have been struck down before. The president does not have the legal authority to set the rules for how elections are run. States determine how elections are conducted.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR VOTERS

PATTERN

JAIL VOTING IMPACT

For many voters, changes to mail voting may seem like a policy issue. For people in jail, it determines whether they can vote at all.

In Michigan, many people in jail are legally eligible to vote. But they have one way to do it: by mail.

They cannot go to a polling place.
They cannot access early voting.
They do not have a backup option.

When mail voting is restricted or cut off, access does not just become harder. It disappears.

This is how people lose their vote without ever losing their rights.

IMPACTED COMMUNITIES

These policies disproportionately affect the same communities we serve every day, including people who are justice-impacted, people experiencing housing instability, older adults, students, and others with limited access to resources.

WHAT MICHIGAN LEADERS ARE SAYING

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson stated:

• The executive order is illegal
• States, not the president, run elections
• The order could create confusion and make it harder for eligible voters to vote

She also affirmed that Michigan elections are already secure and that her office will challenge the order in court.

WHAT VAAC WANTS OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW

• Your vote is your right. You can vote if you have a felony or misdemeanor, are on probation, parole, or tether, are detained awaiting arraignment, trial, or sentencing, do not have a Michigan ID, have unstable housing, have a disability, or are a naturalized citizen.
• Planting doubt and narrowing voting options are not new tactics used to manipulate how elections are conducted.
• Accurate information is critical right now.

We have seen firsthand how systemic obstacles and unclear voting requirements prevent people from voting, especially in communities that are already underrepresented and have been historically excluded.

We will not waiting to see the impact of these changes. We are organizing to ensure that every eligible voter can participate and that elections remain accessible, fair, and free.

TAKE ACTION

We are encouraging our community to contact your elected officials in Congress:

• Your U.S. Representative (find them here) → https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
• Your two U.S. Senators:

Senator Gary Peters → https://www.peters.senate.gov/contact/email-gary
Senator Elissa Slotkin → https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/contact/contact-senator-slotkin/

Or call: 202-224-3121 

Tell them:

• You oppose efforts that restrict access to voting, including limits on mail-in voting and policies that require additional documentation to cast a ballot
• You support protecting access to voting for eligible voters, including the ability to vote by mail and without unnecessary barriers

Your voice is powerful, and elected officials need to hear directly from you.

The post Executive Order Targeting Mail-In Voting Is Part of a Broader Effort to Control Elections appeared first on Voting Access For All.