Trump's administration is planning to use the Postal Service to federalize elections.
Posted by Strict Scrutiny, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 80%
Strict ScrutinySep 15, 2026
Sources from before and on 2026-09-15 document a Trump administration plan, under a March 2026 executive order, to use the Postal Service to screen or restrict mail ballots, and Reuters reports Trump urged Republicans to "nationalize" voting.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Anyway, the second point Justice Alito makes is that this entire fiasco is really the fault of liberals, Democrats, and the states themselves, who decided to challenge this, so it's not the Trump administration's fault. The Trump administration gets no blame for announcing plans to interfere with the midterm elections by taking over the Postal Service and using it to federalize the elections, according to Justice Alito. Quote, the plaintiff states and the courts bear a substantial share of the blame for the rule's timing. …
Strict Scrutiny · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP reports a federal judge extended a block on the Postal Service implementing Trump's executive order seeking to limit mail voting, meaning the USPS plan existed as an administration initiative.[1]
Supports. The Atlantic reports that under a March executive order Trump directed USPS to develop a plan requiring federal sign-off on ballot envelopes before mail ballots could be sent, and that the rule was in the process of Supreme Court review.[4]
Supports. Reuters reports the administration seeks to expand the federal government's role in elections, that Trump urged Republicans to "nationalize" voting in at least 15 places, and that the Supreme Court blocked Trump's mail voting plan on Monday, September 14 or 15.[2]
Supports. A Senate Democratic press release describes a USPS proposed rule that would refuse to deliver mail ballots in states resisting federal voter-list demands, showing the plan's concrete form.[3]
Context. The Inquirer describes the USPS ballot-screening effort as one piece of a broader federal effort to take more control of state-run elections, but the Supreme Court blocked the plan, so it was stymied rather than in effect.[5]
Context. Courts at multiple levels blocked the USPS rule, so the plan was legally obstructed as of the claim date, though the claim concerns the administration's planning rather than its implementation.[1][4]
Sources
5 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 primary, 1 tier 2, 1 not rated
- 1Judge extends block on Trump order aiming to limit mail ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Election officials prepare for chaos as Trump seeks to tilt the midterms to Republicansreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3Padilla, Peters, Schumer Lead Senate Democrats in ...padilla.senate.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Rules Designed to Create Chaostheatlantic.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 5Trump's effort to assert control over elections continues, ...inquirer.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Donald Trump is planning to suppress the vote by blocking or curbing mail-in voting.True
- The Trump administration is planning to seize ballots and make fraud claims after the midterms to justify interference.Can’t tell
- Donald Trump's proposed plan would have used the United States Postal Service to screen ballot envelopes after they are submitted.True
- Donald Trump's plan to use the US Postal Service to screen mailed-in votes is being tested in Florida.True
- The Trump administration proposed a USPS mail portal software system for states to log and cross-check voter files.True