Donald Trump's executive order required states to use tracking barcodes on ballot envelopes.
Posted by Bulwark Takes, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 90%
Bulwark TakesSep 15, 2026
Multiple primary and tier1 sources (the EO text, the White House fact sheet, Reuters, and CRS) confirm that Trump's March 31, 2026 executive order (EO 14399) directed the USPS to require secure ballot envelopes with unique tracking barcodes, and tier2 CNN reporting describes the same requirement.
The host relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
What was said
… This is a C n. Summary of the bill: The president's order required states to submit lists of eligible voters to the US. Postal Service. The agency would be barred from delivering ballots mailed by states to people not on those lists. It also required states to use tracking barcodes on ballot envelopes, and it prioritized federal prosecution of state election officials who send or receive ballots to non-citizens or others ineligible to vote. …
Bulwark Takes · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The executive order directs the Postmaster General to require all mail-in and absentee ballots transmitted by USPS to be placed in secure envelopes with unique Intelligent Mail barcodes that facilitate tracking.[2][3]
Supports. Reuters reports the order would mandate secure ballot envelopes with unique tracking barcodes, and CNN reports the order required states to include tracking information on ballot envelopes.[1][5]
Supports. The CRS notes USPS issued a final rule on August 26, 2026 establishing standards consistent with the EO, and an August 24 Supreme Court action allowed USPS rulemaking for state mail ballot designs to proceed.[4][6]
Context. Parts of the order, including the requirement that USPS withhold ballots from people not on government lists, remain blocked by a lower court; this does not affect the barcode requirement claim.[6][7]
Sources
7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 3 primary, 1 tier 2, 2 not rated
- 1Trump signs order tightening mail-in voting, drawing swift ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures Citizenship ...whitehouse.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 3Executive Order 14399—Ensuring Citizenship Verification and ...govinfo.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4USPS Ballot Mail Rule: Overview and Potential Impact - Congress.govcongress.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5Supreme Court backs Trump’s order to curb mail ballots | CNN Politicscnn.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 6Supreme Court allows Trump to implement parts of his mail-in voting executive orderabcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 7First Circuit rejects bid to lift injunction blocking USPS rule ...courthousenews.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Donald Trump issued an executive order to deliver mail ballots only to people on lists of mail-in voters that states must turn over to the USPS.True
- Donald Trump's executive order required states to submit lists of eligible voters to the U.S. Postal Service.True
- Donald Trump's proposed plan would have required specific barcodes on envelopes for mail-in ballots.True
- President Trump signed an executive order in March regarding mail-in voting.True
- Donald Trump's executive order prioritized federal prosecution of state election officials who send or receive ballots to non-citizens or others ineligible to vote.True