California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service challenging rules that restrict mail-in voting.
The lawsuit challenges a final rule USPS adopted following President Trump's executive order issued March 31, 2026, which requires the postal service to reject mail ballots for voters not included on new USPS lists of "enrolled" mail voters. USPS announced the rule August 21 and established new design requirements for mail-in ballot envelopes that states must meet and get approved by USPS.
The coalition argues the rule is unconstitutional and contrary to statute, as it interferes with states' authority to administer elections and jeopardizes mail-in voting. The group is also filing a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to block the rule's implementation while litigation continues.
The attorneys general contend that states, not USPS or the President, have authority to regulate federal elections, subject only to preemption by Congress. They note that Congress has never authorized USPS to monitor or control mail ballot transmission and has only taken action to expand and protect mail voting for military and overseas voters.
During the 2024 general election, nearly 1 in 3 Americans voted by mail. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump Administration's emergency request to stay an injunction blocking key provisions of the executive order for November elections in the coalition states. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the coalition could still challenge the USPS rule implementing the order.