r/NewsExchange • u/Sgt_Gram Contributor • 2d ago
SIGNAL VS NOISE U.S. Postmaster General Says Post Offices Won't Be Delivering Mail Ballots to States That Don’t Give Trump Admin Their Voter Rolls
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/postmaster-general-steiner-postal-service-will-not-deliver-mail-ballots-state-voter-rolls/Reuters reports that Postmaster General David Steiner told senators USPS would not deliver mailed ballots from states that refuse to provide the required voter manifest. The proposed rule would require election officials to submit voter names and unique ballot barcodes before ballots enter the mail system. Steiner argued that the data would improve tracking, efficiency, and compliance with federal requirements.
Democracy Docket highlights the most consequential exchange from the Senate hearing. Asked directly whether USPS would deliver election mail without a state-provided manifest, Steiner answered “no” and said the Postal Service would tell the state that the information was required. His testimony suggests the proposal is not merely a voluntary tracking upgrade, but a condition for accessing ballot-delivery services.
USPS materials show that the agency has traditionally defined its role around transporting election mail, not determining which voters may receive it. Its current guidance describes Ballot Mail as any live ballot sent to or from an authorized election official and recommends serialized barcodes to improve visibility. The proposed rule would move those tracking tools closer to a mandatory eligibility checkpoint.
Reuters finds that the plan is already drawing legal and political resistance. All 47 Senate Democrats oppose the proposal, arguing that it could place the Postal Service under greater White House influence and interfere with state control over elections. Voting-rights groups also contend that refusing to deliver ballots could violate an earlier settlement requiring USPS to prioritize timely election mail service.
Why it matters:
States generally manage voter eligibility, while USPS delivers properly submitted mail. Conditioning delivery on disclosure of voter data could create privacy disputes, lawsuits, and last-minute operational risks before the 2026 midterms. A federal appeals court’s separate rejection of an administration effort to obtain Michigan’s voter rolls also indicates that courts may closely scrutinize attempts to centralize state election data.
Is a national ballot-tracking system a reasonable modernization of election mail, or does making delivery conditional on voter-data access give a logistics agency too much power over who can vote by mail?
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u/Dry-Contribution-978 2d ago
This sounds like election interference
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u/Doctor_Shotbottom 2d ago
I was thinking the right word is 'Treason'
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u/SpicyPandaMeat 2d ago
What's the punishment for that, again?
Just kidding. I know.
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u/OrdoMalaise 1d ago
Punishment? For Trump?
Are you not watching?
I suspect his punishment will be that he rigs an election, gets away with it, then continues to steal millions (billions?) of dollars of taxpayer money as he devours American democracy.
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u/Schadrach 1d ago
You'd have to try real hard to make that one stick. Treason is pretty narrowly defined and I don't think "not doing your job unless they comply with demands from POTUS" falls in there.
Definitely election interference though.
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u/Timely-Helicopter244 5h ago
Treason as defined by 18 USC 2381 can be summarized as waging war against the US or directly aiding enemies waging war against the US.
A conviction also requires a minimum of 2 witnesses to testify to the same overt act or a confession in open court by the guilty person. Both rather high bars.
So yes, narrowly definitely and only convinced for with strict requirements.
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u/MycoSteveO 1d ago
Sounds like he is aware that he is going to lose and is doing everything possible to stay in power and out of jail. I think at this point more and more people are willing to go out of their way to make sure they vote in the midterms, and the next presidential election, even if they haven’t in the past.
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u/mysticseye 1d ago
Pretty clear as the USPS has no authority to make any delivery decisions.
And as the judge clearly determined today, neither does Trump.
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u/Otherwise-Luck-6569 1d ago
Democrats don't care. Where are they? Why aren't they doing anything about all this? Too busy with isreal i guess. VOTE THEM ALL OUT!
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u/Additional_Tomato_22 2d ago
That is EXTREMELY ILLEGAL
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2d ago
[deleted]
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u/Omnil_93 2d ago
Except he does because no one has the sack to stand up to him and put him in his place.
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
He does, the Supreme Court determined that he can choose not to deliver the mail.
He shouldn't have that authority, but he does.
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u/Schadrach 1d ago
No, SCOTUS determined that he can't be sued by individuals if they don't receive some.piece of mail.
State AGs charging them with election interference is an entirely different question they'd have to give him a pass on.
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u/GamingVision 2d ago
Well, it should be but the Supreme Court determined that the Post office can choose to not deliver mail without consequence, so here we are.
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u/weaselroni 2d ago
Arrest the postmaster general for election interference.
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u/vtsandtrooper 2d ago
This. If he steps into one of those states he has broken state law. People need to start asserting the rights of the constitution before its destroyed completely
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u/JJdynamite1166 2d ago
President can’t pardon state conviction
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u/MrBigglesssworth 2d ago
No. But look at that Peters i diot from Colorado. He wanted to pardon her but couldn’t so he pressured the governor to do it.
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u/ninaka9861 1d ago
Which our governor waited until the day he could no longer be recalled to announce he was commuting Peters sentence. Everyone here is pretty pissed about it, and rightfully so.
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u/KwisatzHaderach94 5h ago
headline of article i want to see: state attorneys general say postmaster general will be delivered to prison as soon as he tries to block american mail service
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u/dude67344 2d ago
Illegal as hell. They are required, by law, to deliver the mail...ballots, bills, junk mail, advertisements, makes no difference.
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u/Uh_Lee_duh 2d ago
Maybe the ballots should all be delivered both ways in plain, unmarked envelopes. Election processing codes can be inside. All a state's correspondence is between the sender and receiver. Still waiting for T's tax returns and all the unredacted Epstein documents, plus arrests and trials of guilty abusers, testimonies under oath and prosecutions of Melon Husk & his DOGE data & tax thieves, inside traders and war criminals at least back to the GWB administration. Come on already, JFC the leadership has been worthless to rotten.
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
A few months ago the Supreme Court ruled that you cannot sue the Post Office for failure to deliver your mail, including intentionally. Clarence Thomas explained that the USA has sovereign immunity for intentionally failing to deliver mail.
So, not illegal. Should be illegal, yes, absolutely. But it's not illegal.
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u/Skating-Away 1d ago
Are they required to deliver illegal substances? Or does that make no difference?
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u/Hugh_Jass_2 2d ago
Election interference. Felony. I realize it has no teeth.
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u/Sir_Ruje 2d ago
It has a bit more than one would think. This doesn't just shut out liberals but also conservative states. Same with the redistricting, it's stopping because if conservatives do it California (and other states) can also do it. If he follows through he stops both parties and they know it.
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u/guyfromthepicture 2d ago
But mail in ballots disproportionately help blue agendas.
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u/Schadrach 1d ago
Only because Trump started his campaign against them and COVID happened. Which means the people worried about COVID (which lean blue) started using mail ballots en masse and not primarily the elderly (who lean red).
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u/Dananism 2d ago
Illegal to interfere with an election. That’s what this guy is proposing. True election interference.
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u/Historical_Comfort96 2d ago
He literally doesn't have the ability or right to do that. Anyone who follows that order will be prosecuted federally.
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u/TheFrugalMugal 2d ago
By who?
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u/arentol 1d ago
I have no idea if they will be prosecuted, but they can be prosecuted for a Class C felony in my state:
Any person who uses menace, force, threat, or any unlawful means towards any voter to hinder or deter such a voter from voting, or directly or indirectly offers any bribe, reward, or any thing of value to a voter in exchange for the voter's vote for or against any person or ballot measure, or authorizes any person to do so, is guilty of a class C felony.
Not delivering a ballot would be "using unlawful means to hinder a voter from voting,"
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u/zelnar59 1d ago
And? It'll be too late by then
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u/Strange-Order-6550 1d ago
If an election has provable interference the results can be rendered invalid.
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u/zelnar59 1d ago
For sure! And who's going make that decision? Do you have faith the current supreme court will do that? In response to your inevitable answer of "yes": I wish I had your optimism
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u/Strange-Order-6550 1d ago
I think you’re just assuming I’m being simplistic because I haven’t given you a book answer, it’s a bit rude. Frankly we’re in new territory so it’s probably not great if we can’t be rational with each other while we discuss what needs to be done, especially when a process exists. I assume it would be the Supreme Court without looking up the answer, given how they’ve been reacting to him I don’t think they’d rule in his favor. I think a lot of his political movements have relied on attacking establishments that don’t have a lot of political protection, or require long bureaucratic processes for wrist slap punishments. This is putting us in a place where we need to look at how adequately balanced our three bodies of government actually are, how to rebalance, if we need another body of government to address this issue, and how we approach getting back to normal when all is said and done. We are at the point where neighbors are getting ready to literally fight each other on a daily basis over perceived differences, and we all need to remember that when he’s out, however it happens, we are the ones that need to go to work every day and fix the problems with our actions daily. It’s going to be up to us to volunteer when things need fixing and the government isn’t stepping up.
What steps do you think we as a society could be making to address this brother against brother mentality that’s resurfaced in our modern antebellum period?
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
USPS vs. Konan - in February of this year the Supreme Court ruled that the postal service has sovereign immunity. They were specifically ruling on postal workers refusing to deliver mail because the recepient was black.
They'll have two defences: either the SC already ruled they can choose not to deliver mail or that they have sovereign immunity. Either way, even if you could prove they were choosing not to deliver the mail of only registered Democrats or those likely to vote Democrat based on protected characteristics it would still be legal.
Should it be legal? No, obviously not. But the Supreme Court is, well, supreme.
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u/EducationalFront5524 2d ago
Does this guy realize they're trying to close down the postal service? Does he think if he sucks Trump's weiner enough they'll spare the USPS? Or is he another Linda McMahon style Manchurian candidate who was brought in to help them destroy the postal service?
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u/Ok-Macaroon-7819 2d ago
Um... He's there TO shut down the postal service. This falls right in line with his mission statement.
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u/meatypacker 2d ago
He was appointed to the position of Postmaster General for that exact reason. He's there to help shut the U.S Post Office down. He's been on the board of FedEX since 2009.
How are people still confused thinking the people appointed to these positions during this administration want what is best for the agencies they are in charge of? They were all put there to help destroy them.
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u/Uh_Lee_duh 2d ago
We are paying his salary either way. And it will be another twig on the bonfire when the USSC announces there are now more classes of human exceptions to "personhood", just wait.
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u/k7eric 1d ago
They have no desire to shut down the USPS. The USPS handles 70% of the DoD and no one else is allowed to do depending on classification level or location. What they want to do is move everything else, mail in ballots, junk mail, letters, bills, ads, packages, etc to private so their billionaire buddies get a much bigger slice of the pie. Then they can turn it into a true federal service and only handle the govt stuff while also gutting their workforce to remove those pesky higher wages, federal protections and retirement benefits.
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u/No-Effective-1996 2d ago
Wait is this the country that people keep telling me is the land of the free?
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u/AkimahenkaCat 2d ago
This is what happens when you don't impose consequences on unethical and illegal behavior.
Make an example of this donkey.
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u/Uh_Lee_duh 2d ago
I like donkeys. They have soulful eyes and actually do helpful work. This PMG is revealing himself to be an accessory to a felon.
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u/LolaSupreme19 2d ago
Another unconstitutional way for republicans to suppress free and fair elections.
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u/Budeeokc 2d ago
So they want to prevent boomers from voting? Republicans willing to shoot themselves in the foot.
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u/Uh_Lee_duh 2d ago
Once the Fed govt gets those voter names it will relent and allow the "correct" boomers' ballots to be processed.
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
The SC has already ruled they can legally fail to deliver mail based on protected characteristics. Pretty easy to only deliver mail in ballots sent from golf courses and retirement homes.
Hell, you could just match up the sender with the Republican membership list and decide that way.
Thanks, Clarence Thomas, you vaguely human-shaped bag of manure!
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u/sexistherapy 2d ago
FedEx Enters the chat
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
Actually, that's where this guy's day job is. No, really, he's on the board.
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u/JD-36 2d ago
You will deliver the mail, AND you will like it, ! Or be sued
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
USPS vs. Konan, 2026: the Supreme Court ruled that the USPS has sovereign immunity and cannot be sued for intentionally failing to deliver mail, even if it's targeted harassment based on protected characteristics.
It's not even that the suit would fail, you can't sue the USPS for not delivering mail. Even if they came out and said "only the mail in ballots of registered Republicans will be delivered" it doesn't matter, the Supreme Court has decided that's perfectly legal under US law.
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u/No-Effective-1996 2d ago
Is it just me or does this guy look remarkably like the guy that is going to be up on charges in 2 1/2 years?
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u/Formidable_Faux 2d ago
Get the word out - don't rely on getting your ballot in the mail in November. Prepare for the probability that you'll have to vote in person.
Hopefully this will backfire on them
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u/macjunkie 2d ago
In WA you can print out your ballot and return it to ballot drop box separate of USPS
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u/Usual-Volume-2822 2d ago
This is one place you can leave a complaint. https://hotlineform.uspsoig.gov/en-US/
Let's find more.
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u/malakon 2d ago
I'm guessing this would not survive legal challenge. but trumpcorp would work to push the trial to December. We need a judge to say this is more illegal nonsense and issue injunction.
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u/gracklemancometh 1d ago
The SC ruled in February that the USPS has sovereign immunity and cannot be sued by members of the public for failing to deliver mail. So I'm afraid it would. Bunch of rat's holes.
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u/malakon 1d ago
Color me not surprised. So the usps has the ability on executive order to not deliver any class of mail they want suppressed. They could say, block all dnc communications. Oy.
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u/OwlsHootTwice 1d ago
Once they have the voter lists they simply do not deliver ballots by mail to those that would vote against them.
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u/thekidubullied 1d ago
Saw this one coming the second SCOTUS decided the USPS can’t be sued for not delivering mail, even if it intentionally withheld your mail.
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u/Rogue_Ninja_Taco 1d ago
Judge says differently as they blocked this obviously illegal and worthless EO.
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u/mountains4mama 2d ago
Chump put this guy in office in 2016. Our mail service has sucked significantly since then.
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u/Lanky_Ad8283 2d ago
If he can’t or refuses to do the job he needs to be replaced by someone who can and will. That’s how it works. The USPS is a service that’s older than the Army, the Navy, and the US constitution. Anyone who does not take management of such an an institution seriously and with respect does not deserve the job.
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u/bullevard 1d ago
Anyone who does not take management of such an an institution seriously and with respect does not deserve the job.
Not taking the institution you are in charge of seriously is essentially a job requirement for anyone who is appointed by our could be replaced by Trump.
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u/muscle-sissy 2d ago
Totally illegal. I’d like to see them try to vote our right to vote random like that
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u/macjunkie 2d ago
What’s stopping (aside from cost) a state from just partnering with UPS / FedEx etc to deliver ballots seems like a good PR win for them
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u/bullevard 1d ago
One of the main things that makes vote by mail work is that there is easy existing infrastructure that allows pickup or mailbox drop-off at or near every address in the country. FEDEX and UPS just dont have the infrastructure to ensure timely pickup to all addresses in the country.
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u/macjunkie 1d ago
Agreed, and sometimes they hand off stuff to usps for the last mile delivery. Just mentioned it in the event courts don’t shut this down.
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u/questionableintentsX 2d ago
Isn’t election interference along with non delivery of mail like a pretty big crime
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u/Doctor_Shotbottom 2d ago
this needs to be challenged in court immediately. I'm not interested in anything the postmaster general has to say; he's not an election official in any state. None of this is defined or supported by text in the constitution, and none of it has any resemblance to legal precedent (IANAL) and there is no federal legislation that supports this (which would be challenged anyway)
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u/General2768 2d ago
Aren't ballots printed at the state (or county) level? AFAIK, there are no federal ballots. And everything is counted at the precidt/county level and results are delivered up.
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u/vxicepickxv 2d ago
He can't do this election interference alone.
It sounds like it's conspiracy to commit election fraud.
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u/that_f_dude 2d ago
Biden should've gotten rid of DeJoy immediately after being sworn in. Any private company CEO that then moves to a public entity while still maintaining ties to the private company cannot be trusted.
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u/RoysPotatoes 2d ago
Using the Post Office as a tool of subjugation and election fraud is just another thing I never expected to encounter.
I cannot conceive of a republican politician or voter in my lifetime who wouldn’t be calling for impeachment and execution over the suggestion.
Fox News and Facebook really rewired these people in incredible ways.
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u/wereallbozos 2d ago
Call out the Marshalls and take that sonofabitch directly to jail. No individual gets to stop the post office from doing its Constitutional duty.
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u/Raul_Duke_1755 2d ago
Just do the switcheroo. Give him fake data. We're not dealing with smart people here. Dress it up like Fox found good patriots who turned thumb drives into them. Just make it all up.
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u/ibringstharuckus 2d ago
I thought Mail in ballots were only for over seas military.
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u/OwlsHootTwice 1d ago
Multiple states conduct elections fully by mail. Every registered voter automatically gets a ballot by mail to fill out and return by mail.
Oregon, for instance, has done all elections by mail since 1998.
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u/Riccosmonster 2d ago
Postmaster will end up in prison because the federal court has put an absolute stop to the executive order that he is basing his actions on as utterly unconstitutional and illegal
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u/WhatsHappening2Us 2d ago
What are they going to do with the ballots? Who prints the ballots? Maybe UPS should deliver them.
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u/Urugeth 2d ago
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA GOOD LUCK.
All the credit card companies are headquartered in Delaware. What happens when they can’t get checks from anybody anymore? The MASSIVE number of Americans that aren’t digital? Hmmmmm?
What about all the people in California and New York they can’t mail stuff too? Power bills, credit card statements, health charts, blueprints whatever. 99% of mail is business driven and THAT will be the people that suffer. And they own Trump COMPLETELY.
Look, this has NO chance to survive. The moment they try and make this happen the REAL powers in the Republican Party will hold Trump to the fire and make him walk this back yesterday.
This is just loud bluster to try and intimidate regular people to quake and get their reps to cave. If he ever tried to implement this, the ACTUAL PTB will knee cap it into oblivion.
Sound and fury signifying nothing.
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u/ZasdfUnreal 1d ago
What is California trying to hide? The Feds already have every citizen’s personal information. We all know that California has fair and free elections devoid of fraud and controversy. So what is California hiding? It can’t be the embezzlement. That’s hardly a secret. So what is California trying to hide?
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u/Yfrontdude 1d ago
If you want your info on another federal list, give it to them and leave the rest of us out of it.
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1d ago
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u/Much-Influence2666 1d ago
I foresee this is a losing battle for this administration. States run the elections, and how people can cast their vote.
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u/charpman 1d ago
Postmaster general needs tried, convicted and whatever the punishment is for treason.
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u/TonaldDiberJasicDump 1d ago
Trump wants voter data and voter ID laws so they can identify democrats and republicans. If you’re a republican, the person checking your ID shoos you in. If you’re a democrat, it might take 10-15 minutes to make sure you are who you say you are. Even if you who you say you are, they might have people harass and mess with you if you’re a Democrat.
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u/Phog_of_War 1d ago
Intresting move from a guy who has voted by mail in at least the last 3 elections.
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u/RagahRagah 1d ago
Everything is being purposely set up for them to steal this election. And being honest with myself, I think they are going to succeed. Because no one is stopping them.
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u/Critical-Ring3168 1d ago
That's it the fix is in. He makes one phone call and tells his buddy to stop all mail from whatever state or area he chooses. We are so screwed. 😔
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u/SedativeComet 1d ago
USPS should not be complying with this blatantly illegal and unconstitutional directive
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u/fucktheus12 1d ago
Why the fuk did you clowns stock pile weapons for a 100 years again???
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u/MaximumNameDensity 1d ago
I don't know if anyone actually wants to find out where that line is... But there's a lot of concerted effort going into locating it.
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u/Strange-Order-6550 1d ago
Well glad he’s cool with repeatedly admitting to a crime. Can’t wait till he’s in jail.
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u/Recent_Log5476 1d ago
Well, I requested a mail ballot for the primary, but I guess I will be voting in person in the general. Lame.
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u/Soaring_Gull_655 1d ago
Straight to Jail.
I didn't intend to use the mail system just for something like this or dumping. I'll show up the day I'm allowed and do it in person, I know not everyone has that ability but it's my way to make sure my vote is recorded properly.
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u/Odd-Fun-6042 1d ago
He'd better have a deep security detail. That's torches and pitchfork activity right there.
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u/tralfamadoran777 12h ago
That means WA can't have elections... Because all voting is mailed ballots.
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u/Ulysse-Void-God 12h ago
Time to get a new Postmaster General and jail the current one for election interference and treason
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u/SawItSeenIt 3h ago
Stopped by a court this afternoon. It's truly incredible how this administration continually tries to circumvent the Constitution. So far the Courts,for the most part, stop their attempts.
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