Maine is among 25 states suing the U.S. Postal Service over its plan to regulate mail voting in elections.
USPS announced a new rule implementing President Trump’s order requiring states to register eligible mail voters with the Postal Service and get new ballot envelopes approved.
USPS would not deliver ballots to voters if it does not approve them or ballots in envelopes that don’t meet its new requirements.
Maine and other states argue the rule inflicts irreparable harm by imposing burdensome mail-voting requirements that risk disenfranchising eligible voters.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey says it’s an unlawful attempt by President Trump to control elections.
“USPS and the President are inflicting violence on free and fair elections through this unlawful attempt to control voting by mail, said Maine Attorney General Frey in a 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 postal service has said it will not implement the rule while an injunction is pending in a separate lawsuit over mail voting. There are now several lawsuits on the issue, which will make it difficult for the new rule to affect the November elections.
