League of Women Voters files emergency motion to stop USPS from final rulemaking on vote by mail

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/23/800088414/community/league-of-women-voters-files-emergency-motion-to-stop-usps-from-final-rulemaking-on-vote-by-mail/

League of Women Voters files emergency motion to stop USPS from final rulemaking on vote by mail

by Poetat13thAve

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Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 10:07 PM EDT

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As many of you know the US Postal Service filed their final rule on Friday concerning Trump’s Executive Order attacking mail in ballots. The EO would allow the Postal Service to restrict mail in ballots in states that do not provide the Trump administration with the voter data they are requesting. In effect the Postal Service is saying it won’t deliver ballots to voters, or return them to the states’ administrators, in those states that do not provide the administration with the voter data.

There is another court case involving this issue involving 23 states, being considered at the Supreme Court right now. The case which is the subject of this post, is League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump. The judge in this case, brought in the District Court in Massachusetts by the League of Women Voters (and others) as plaintiffs, has already issued a court order that prohibited the Postal Service from taking any action to continue executing the EO in question. The ruling was on August 11. This is a separate case from the one at SCOTUS, and the judge’s order is still in force.

On Friday, when the Postal Service published their final rule about the EO in the federal register (with an effective date of August 21), they directly violated the court order issued by the Massachusetts District Court. Today, the League of Women Voters filed this emergency motion to declare the Postal Service in violation of the order, asking that the final rule they published on Friday be declared to have no force, or effect, and asking the judge to direct the Postal Service to comply with the court order with compliance updates.

This is great news, but we will see what happens. Below is a link to a more detailed explanation than I have here.

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/voting-rights-organizations-seek-to-enforce-injunction-against-mail-voting-executive-order

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7 Tags

#Ballots #executive order #mail-in voting #Postal Service #Recommended #trump #USPS

Conversation

All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. The views expressed in comments are those of the individual authors and don't necessarily reflect the views of Daily Kos.

All Comments

Comment by oropendola.
1 hr ago
We are overseas voters in WA State, and we receive our ballot ELECTRONICALLY, then mark it (also electronically), scan it, and return it by email. I think this could be an option for the vast majority of voters. For those without access to computers, they can go to their local public library and get help to find, scan, and send their ballots.
And I don’t see why there couldn’t be volunteers to take people without access to transportation to their local library and help them. Only major issue I see would be for people who are unable to get into a car, but the logistics of providing them with ballots and in those cases, taking them to a dropbox to be picked up.
Comment by Bunkerhobbit.
1 hr ago
We schlep our ballots to the PO and have the clerk postmark them immediately. They are required to do this if requested.
It’s a sorry state of affairs that we are at this point in this country.
Comment by MDGluon16.
1 hr ago
Yes allowing an under the direct control of a MAGAzealot Director of the postal services to determine if your ballot gets delivered to you or in a timely manner returned to the elections office is FASCISM writ large.
The last person I want determining if I get my ballot or it gets delivered and counted would be this regime of sycophants……the USPS job is to deliver the mail, not determine if your vote is valid.
Comment by Simnsays.
2 hrs ago
Since the Postal Workers union is suing, maybe they could strike if necessary to make their point? The postal workers shouldn't be forced to participate in this disgrace.
Comment by bopamole.
2 hrs ago
In the meantime, every single state that sends their ballots out in the US Mail should be coming up with alternative options for getting ballots in people's hands. The orange ones are throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Hopefully this one will not stick, but the fact that the USPS has now become entirely politicized will need to be addressed, as well as all the other shit.
- Reply by poetry2016.
  2 hrs ago
  Yes, I agree. Plus, hopefully we ALL can trust the folks - many are republicans who can and will sabotage any chance they can. There was a big discussion on the diary about the P.O.'s efforts (I posted that below) - some folks came up with a lot of different suggestions, ideas on how to do that.
- Reply by bopamole.
  2 hrs ago
  Thanks, happy monday!
Comment by ii V I.
2 hrs ago
Ever since that prick Louis DeJoy was postmaster, we've used ballot drop boxes.
- Reply by poetry2016.
  2 hrs ago
  Me too. And I prefer my County's building's drop box, not just any location. So they will get it sooner than the other locations having to bring it there. Plus, I like how I can check to see "when" they got it or accepted it.
- Reply by bopamole.
  2 hrs ago
  Totally. I have always used ballot drop boxes as well, but we are also talking here about the ballot coming to you in the mail...so if the USPS does not deliver the millions of ballots to voters, unless your state comes up with a better option, every voter will have to go to a polling place, and since for decades election officials have not needed to have lots of polling places all over the state, it may actually be impossible to get that organized in the short time we have left. The only hope if this not stopped, is that red and orange voters are disinterested in finding a way to vote, and that our side is determined, no matter what. We gotta be!
- Reply by first last.
  21 min ago
  I’ll drive to pick it up from and return it to the BOE. Won’t have to encounter any fake inspectors that way either, hopefully. We had an ICE incident during the primary where a worker being harassed by them to delete a TikTok post about Jonathan Ross actually invited them into the polling place as she feared being alone with them outside. Haven’t heard any more about her situation, but county officials took issue with them being illegally in the polling place.
Comment by poetry2016.
2 hrs ago
This is a diary by Dan K, that had a huge discussion over the weekend about the post office's efforts, so it's good to see your Diary about the lawsuit by the League of Women Voter's against the Post Office about this:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/21/800087871/community/postal-service-strikes-blow-against-democracy/
Daily Kos
Postal Service Strikes Blow Against Democracy
Remember the good old days, when the Postal Service delivered the mail without question, without partisanship, without caring whether the mail was Dem…
- Reply by poetry2016.
  2 hrs ago
  ...I forgot to mention that I also posted your Diary there as well (on Dan K's diary on the P.O.)
Comment by poetry2016.
3 hrs ago
Poetat13thAve, thanks again for posting this good news and I hope that the courts rule in their favor. I just posted this/your Diary onto the comments in my diary about the upcoming March on Washington whose theme this year is "Defend the Vote and Democracy" - because your diary here definitely is about defending the Vote:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/21/800087171/community/63rd-march-on-washington-8-28-2026-defending-voting-rights-and-democracy/
Daily Kos
2026 March on Washington’s timely theme: “Defend the Vote and Democracy”
Hello all! I sent this via email letter to my many family and friends near and far – all around the country. I’m now sharing it with you all here on D…
Comment by poetry2016.
3 hrs ago
Thank you for posting this, Poetat13thAve!
- Reply by Poetat13thAve.
  author5 min ago
  Your welcome! Saw it last night, and thought people would want to know.
Comment by worthington.
9 hrs ago
I've been searching around the web looking for the NAMES of the people involved in the Post Office Upper Upper management who are in charge of implementing these rules against the judges orders. What are their names? Who appointed them? They need to be exposed and their actions shown clearly as denying people the right to vote and endangering the next election. If anybody finds out anything, please let me (us) know who they are. Sadly, this problem can be traced, I believe, as far back as Obama never making sure the post office board was plush with a full voting board when Dems had power.
- Reply by G2geek.
  7 hrs ago
  Nope, you can't blame the Weimar Republic for the Nazis (blame Obama for Trump's actions). Trump is a monster, he is responsible for his own impacts.
- Reply by first last.
  16 min ago
  https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/
  about.usps.com
  Members of the Board of Governors - Who we are - About.usps.com
  The current members of the USPS Board of Governors.
Comment by spn09.
11 hrs ago
Blue State Attorney Generals - Please start preparing criminal cases against Post Office managers.
Jail may, or may not, get criminal Post Office manager's attention.
Justice may, or may not, get democracy-loving American's attention.
Doing your job against powerful political lawbreakers gets your attention - Right?
Preparing these cases may, or may not, expose corruption. Performing actions that would lead to jailing white collar criminals, if they exist, will make America a better democracy. Please do so.
Comment by rebel ga.
11 hrs ago
Voting, The Informed Way. “Knowledge, Is Power!” https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/8/15/2335620/community/Voting-The-Informed-Way-Knowledge-Is-Power/
—–
All The Info Needed To Vote. Effectively. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/22/800025949/community/first-diary-at/
—–
- Reply by rebel ga.
  11 hrs ago
  Polling Place Finder–Vote.org https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/
  vote.org
  Polling Place Locator - Vote.org
  Wondering where you vote on Election Day? Use our polling place locator to find out.
- Reply by rebel ga.
  11 hrs ago
Comment by Liberal Thinking.
12 hrs ago
We should start a national movement for people to put a first-class stamp on their ballot envelops before mailing them. This would be a clue to the USPS that they'd better make sure those ballots arrive at the right place and on time.
Then, track you ballot to see when it arrives.
We should plan lawsuits against the USPS if they don't deliver the ballots as we intend. Let them contemplate defending against a few million torts and see if they can find a way to make sure to complete their appointed rounds.
- Reply by swkirby.
  11 hrs ago
  As a longtime California resident, I hope to hell that Gov. Newsom and his crew are planning on having a LOT more voting locations available, just in case. Yes, every California voter is provided with a mail-in ballot, but that doesn’t mean some people don’t prefer to vote in person (not me) and that there aren’t any voting locations available on Election Day. You can still vote in person in California; it’s just that there are fewer locations to do so. They might be needed if the SCOTUS decides voting by mail isn’t really a right. Corrupt as they are.
- Reply by zoom314.
  11 hrs ago
  I'm hoping to get a modular ramp for my power wheelchair which was delivered on May 13th 2026, I still have steps, IEHP wanted a SHED with no power and that I should pay for the shed, and for a way to get power to the Shed, I appealed that STUPID idea, they previously had offered a 10" tall portable ramp, my front door is at least 32" above the ground.
- Reply by Mercy Ormont.
  10 hrs ago
  That doesn't solve the problem. What the PO is threatening to do is not deliver the ballot to you in the first place. Once you get it, you can circumvent them by putting it in a drop box. But first you have to get it.
- Reply by bullfox.
  10 hrs ago
  If push comes to shove there will be locations where you can pick up your ballot.
- Reply by WBinDE.
  9 hrs ago
  If there were infinite time and resources, that MIGHT work. But there are time constraints. In the meantime, I would plan for the worst, most unethical/illegal* actions to occur. Would the USPS hold them, or simply destroy them as undeliverable? If they hold them, then they're all in one place where the regime can just grab them and break the chain of custody, meaning the votes can't be certified.
  *speaking of illegal, I was under the impression that the USPS was required by law to deliver the mail except for materials that are physically dangerous to mail carriers and facilities.
- Reply by G2geek.
  7 hrs ago
  Newsom is on it: he is an early-in major figure in the compact of states whose Governors & congressional Dems have been wargaming every possible contingency at least since the beginning of this year and probably last year as well.
  Most of what that group has discussed has been secret for very good reasons. But we will see their plans in action in November.
  (FWIW, I always use a drop box, there are plenty in Bay Area cities.)
- Reply by G2geek.
  7 hrs ago
  Yes, required by law. Trump is a serial felon so we can't count on him obeying the law. We can count on Post Office middle managers not wanting to go to prison, so, that's where the enforcement of court orders has to be focused.
- Reply by DHfromKY.
  4 hrs ago
  Even in places where there are (or will be) such locations, people still need to be able to get to them when they're open, which means having both time and transportation.
- Reply by Dream It Real.
  2 hrs ago
  Yes, but the USPS intends to not even deliver ballots to voters. What's the workaround for that?
- Reply by Dream It Real.
  2 hrs ago
  Also, the ballots are personalized and currently sent specifically to each voter at their address. Which actually ensures the kind of reliability that Trump is supposedly concerned about!
  It's not like the states can just have piles of ballots for people to grab. And so if you have to go to a location and obtain your specific ballot, then there will be long lines for that , potential for people stealing other people's ballots, etc. etc.
Comment by scoffling.
12 hrs ago
Fkn criminals! WALL ST /TRUMP /GOP trying to turn USA into another RUSSIA
Comment by zoom314.
12 hrs ago
8 states & DC rely on the USPS to deliver ballots to the Voters, no plans for an alternative in CA like UPS or FedEx. DC should be a State... I didn't look at the other 8.
https://www.bing.com/search?pc=MOZI&form=MOZLBR&q=8+states+rely+on+the+USPS+to+deliver+ballots
Bing
8 states rely on the USPS to deliver ballots - Bing
Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.
Comment by mabon.
12 hrs ago
The League of Women Voters doesn't take shit lying down. Not the Massachusetts branch, at least.
- Reply by RiveroftheWest.
  12 hrs ago
  I wish we had a dozen more groups with the knowledge/integrity of the LWV.
- Reply by rebel ga.
  11 hrs ago
  If You Want To Achieve Greatness, Stop Asking For Permission.
Comment by ColoTim.
13 hrs ago
Orders? We don't have to follow no stinkin' orders!
- Reply by rebel ga.
  11 hrs ago
- Reply by zoom314.
  11 hrs ago
  My 2 cat protection detail follow Odors...
Comment by reservationnative.
13 hrs ago
i think it is utterly stupid for ANY poster to think that we can depend on the courts to save us
that has been PROVEN to be outdated.....
we need governors of the states to come out with really really good plans for holding the election
- Reply by ursis.
  1 hr ago
  I don't think that is fair. We can't rely on the SCOTUS, but lower courts, both state and federal, have been on a tear protecting democracy.
Comment by blueoregon.
13 hrs ago
Good