Maine sues Postal Service over new mail voting rule
A person drops off a vote-by-mail ballot at a dropbox in Pioneer Square in Portland, Ore. during primary election voting in 2024. (Jenny Kane/Associated Press)
Maine has joined a coalition of states in suing the U.S. Postal Service over a new rule that would put restrictions in place regarding mail-in voting, the state attorney general announced Wednesday.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, argues that the rule the Postal Service released last week in response to an order from President Donald Trump prevents states from effectively administering their mail voting programs and risks disenfranchising voters.
“USPS and the president are inflicting violence on free and fair elections through this unlawful attempt to control voting by mail,” Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said in a written statement.
“This is not hard: the Constitution does not trust the Executive Branch with the responsibility of facilitating elections and this new rule — this election interference — must be stopped.”
The rule establishes new design requirements for mail-in ballot envelopes used by states.
The Postal Service has said it will not implement the rule while an injunction is pending in a separate lawsuit over mail voting, meaning it’s unlikely to affect the November elections.
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The rule would require states to register voters who are eligible to vote by mail with the Postal Service, and says ballots will not be delivered to voters who do not appear on voter lists generated by the Postal Service.
Spokespeople for USPS did not immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment on the suit. In the rule, USPS said the president’s order “points out the need for additional measures concerning the use of the mail in order to facilitate enforcement of federal law, reduce the risk of fraud, and help protect the integrity of federal elections.” It said the rule helps achieve those goals.
Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia signed on to the suit. They argue that the Postal Service rule violates the Constitution, which makes clear that states, and not the federal government, have the primary authority to administer elections. The rule also is inconsistent with federal voting rights laws and Postal Service policies, they said.
The states are also arguing that the new requirements would be burdensome and difficult to implement ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
“Even if states were to meet these enormous administrative and financial burdens, the rule could still result in eligible voters not receiving their ballots due to, for instance, administrative errors or flaws in the rushed and untested new procedures,” Frey’s office said.
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Rachel covers state government and politics for the Portland Press Herald. It’s her third beat at the paper after stints covering City Hall and education. Prior to her arrival at the Press Herald in. More by Rachel Ohm
