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USPS Finalizes Rule Requiring States to Submit Voter Lists and Barcodes for Mail Ballots

The agency posted a 95‑page rule that would let it refuse ballots from noncompliant states and it forces courts to address a concrete regulation before the November midterms.

A person drops envelopes into a mailbox as postal workers participate in a national day of action outside a U.S. Post Office building, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Image
A ballot drop box outside a public library, ahead of the midterm primary election, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., August 20, 2026. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Joy L. Jackson, right, and Ketha Otis demonstrate against proposed changes to the U. S. Postal Service and President Donald Trump's executive order regarding a mail-in ballots Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Overview

  • The Postal Service posted a 95‑page final rule that took effect Aug. 21, 2026 and is scheduled for Federal Register publication on Aug. 26, 2026, formalizing standards first proposed in June.
  • Under the rule, states must send USPS lists of voters who will receive mailed ballots and place uniquely serialized Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) on outbound and return ballot envelopes.
  • USPS said it would generally refuse to accept or deliver outbound federal ballot mailings that do not meet the rule’s data and barcode requirements, though it says it will not inspect ballot contents or record party affiliation.
  • Two federal injunctions, including orders from the District of Massachusetts, currently block the rule from being implemented for any election on or before Nov. 3, 2026 and the department of justice told courts the final rule now exists.
  • The rule raises practical risks such as reprinting ballots, retraining staff, and delivery delays for elderly and overseas voters, and it pushes a fast legal fight to the Supreme Court by narrowing prior ripeness defenses.