WASHINGTON – (AP) The U.S. Postal Service has halted development of a controversial election-mail computer system after the Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order from taking effect in the 2026 federal election.
Postmaster General David Steiner told The Associated Press that the agency is complying with the court’s injunction and will not enforce the new requirements this year.
“There’s an injunction so we’re not doing anything,” Steiner said.
The decision comes as President Trump continues to push for stronger election safeguards, including tighter verification of voter eligibility and greater uniformity in the handling of mail ballots. Trump’s March executive order directed federal agencies to develop state citizenship lists, which would have been connected to a Postal Service online portal. Under the plan, mail ballots would have been sent only to voters cleared through that process.
The order also called for states to adopt a uniform envelope design with barcodes. Supporters argued that standardized envelopes and voter verification could improve election security and reduce confusion. Critics, including some state officials, said implementing the changes so close to the election would be difficult.
Steiner said he understood the policy’s operational challenges but emphasized that his role was to manage execution rather than weigh in on the president’s broader objectives.
“I don’t get to decide what rules that are put on us that I decide to accept or not accept,” Steiner said. “I looked at it more from the execution side.”
The system had been scheduled for an unveiling around September 15. With the Supreme Court ruling now blocking enforcement for this year, the Postal Service has instructed employees to return to existing procedures.
“First and foremost, for Election Mail it is business as usual,” a memo sent to postal workers stated. “We continue to follow established protocols, and we remain entirely focused on our core mission: delivering the mail safely and securely for voters and election officials across the country.”
The court’s ruling does not necessarily end the legal debate. Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated that the administration could receive a more favorable decision if the issue returns to the Supreme Court in the future.
Steiner said the Postal Service will continue encouraging the use of barcoded envelopes in later elections, although states and voters would not be required to use them. He said envelopes without barcodes could cost more to process.
The postmaster general also urged voters who choose mail ballots to act early, citing concerns about postmark delays in Washington and Oregon.
“We say seven days,” Steiner said. “Everything is solved if people vote early.”
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