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The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to give the U.S. Postal Service broad power to withhold mail ballots from voters whose information does not meet new federal requirements, escalating a major election fight less than two months before the midterms.
The emergency appeal seeks immediate permission to enforce rules requiring states to provide USPS with lists of eligible mail voters and requiring unique bar codes on ballot envelopes.
The administration calls the changes modest mail-processing requirements. Voting rights groups and 23 Democratic-led states argue the president and USPS are unlawfully interfering with state-run elections.
The case has already produced conflicting court rulings. The Supreme Court allowed the administration to continue preparing the rules in August, but a federal judge in Boston later blocked the plan.
Election officials warn that changing mail-ballot systems this late could cause widespread delays or prevent ballots from reaching voters. North Carolina is scheduled to begin mailing ballots Friday.
A USPS whistleblower has also alleged the agency is preparing to reject entire batches of ballots if even one envelope fails to match information submitted through the federal system.
The Supreme Court has asked for a response by Tuesday, signaling that the justices may consider the administration’s request on an expedited basis.
The dispute could determine how much authority the federal government has over state-administered mail voting just weeks before Americans head to the polls.
