DeFranco News Clips

How the Postal Service is Threatening Mail-In Voting

Watch the full Daily DeFranco Show: https://www.youtube.com/@PhilipDeFranco?sub_confirmation=1 Get More News Clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLB7kBu9O5dbBKhaIOmqcQ?sub_confirmation=1 The Postmaster General just told senators that USPS will refuse to deliver mail-in ballots to states that do not give the Trump administration lists of sensitive voter information as required under an executive order the president signed in March. But then, less than 24 hours later, a federal judge struck down major parts of Trump’s executive order to limit voting by mail. Right, the executive order in question would direct the Department of Homeland Security to create a national list of citizens in each state using data from citizenship and naturalization records, Social Security records, and other federal databases. Then, once that’s complete, the order mandates that the Postal Service can only provide absentee ballots to people on those citizenship lists. With the order also instructing the DOJ to prioritize investigating and prosecuting state and local election officials who issue federal ​ballots to people who are deemed ineligible to vote. Now, in addition to being incredibly controversial, the executive action was also widely panned as totally illegal. Right, the Constitution very clearly gives state legislatures and Congress — not the president — the power to set rules for federal elections. Which is why you have critics slamming the move as a transparent effort by Trump to federalize elections and get them under his thumb. But, of course, the Trump administration has moved forward full steam ahead to implement the policy. And just a few weeks ago, the USPS introduced a new rule that would force states to provide the names, addresses, and ballot barcode numbers for ANYONE who requests a mail-in ballot. A move that would functionally give the Trump administration a federal absentee voter database. But — and this is the key thing here — The New York Times reported earlier this month that the rule would ALSO allow the Postal Service to refuse to deliver absentee ballots in states that don’t turn over the sensitive voter information. With The Times reporting that the “vaguely written” policy “appears to establish broad authority for the agency to intervene in the mail voting process,” and adding: “Withholding some mail services in states where voters rely heavily on mail balloting could affect millions of Americans.” —————————— Produced by: Cory Ray, Philip DeFranco Edited by: James Girardier, Maxwell Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks, Matthew Henry Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Lili Stenn, Philip DeFranco ———————————— #USPS #Elections #Trump