Hi Friend —
This has been a hard week for those of us who care about election integrity, particularly as it relates to mail-in ballots. But there's an opportunity to have our voices heard — a United States Postal Service call for public comment that ends this Thursday, July 2.
Quick background:
First, in the courts. Two rulings landed in the past week, and neither went our way.
On June 25, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled in a case brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia. She struck down the President's March 2026 executive order on mail-in ballots as it applies to those states, and she went further, questioning whether the Postal Service even has the authority to set binding rules on how mail-in ballots are handled.
Then on June 29, the Supreme Court decided Watson v. RNC. By a 5-4 vote, with Justice Barrett writing for the majority, the Court held that states may continue counting mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive afterward. You might wonder, if the ballot has to be postmarked by Election Day, isn’t that good enough? It might be if there were reliable procedural controls inside of election processes, but the fact is that as long as ballots continue to be counted, they will all be counted. Postmarks won’t be a limiting factor. That’s the real world.
So, that's the scoreboard. Two losses in one week.
But — the Postal Service has a separate, still-open rulemaking process in play. USPS is accepting public comments on a proposed rule to set uniform standards for mailing ballots in federal elections, with the official Election Mail logo on ballot envelopes, Intelligent Mail barcodes so ballots can be tracked through the system, and a reconciliation process so the number of ballots returned can be checked against the number sent. This rule making is its own legal process. The agency is required by law to read and weigh the public comments it receives before it decides anything. Note: the Massachusetts Federal Judge has questioned whether USPS has the authority to do this. That fight has yet to play out.
The comment period runs until July 2nd, nationwide, and is open to every American regardless of which state they live in.
Make no mistake, the other side of this argument is showing up. The League of Women Voters, Democracy Docket, and others have built tools to flood the docket with opposition. They are organized and after a week of wins, they are energized. We have until Thursday to make sure our voices are heard.
At this point, the only way to submit is by email. Send your comment to:
PCFederalRegister@usps.gov
Use the exact subject line: Ballot Mail
You must include your full name and mailing address in the body of the email, or USPS will not accept your comment. Your address won't be posted publicly, but the agency requires it to count your submission.
The deadline is Thursday, July 2, at 5:00 PM Eastern.
A few pointers to make your comment count: Write in your own words. Agencies note form letters but give real weight to genuine, personal comments. Three or four honest sentences will do more than any template. Be specific and be civil. Say who you are and why ballot transparency matters to you. If you've ever mailed a ballot and wondered whether it actually arrived, say so. That uncertainty is exactly what tracking and reconciliation are meant to fix. Keep it short. You do not need to write an essay. If it helps to have a starting point, here is a simple frame you can build on. Paste it into your email and add a sentence or two of your own:
"I am writing in support of the proposed rule, Ballot Mail for Federal Elections. As a voter, I want confidence that every ballot sent by mail can be tracked and accounted for. These standards bring basic transparency and a clear chain of custody to a process that has had too little of either. I urge the Postal Service to finalize the rule.”
[Your name]
[Your mailing address]
One housekeeping note: everything submitted becomes part of the public record, so don't include anything beyond the name and address USPS requires that you wouldn't want posted online.
Please take five minutes today and send in a comment. Be heard. Keep the faith. Never quit.
Ever onward —
https://truethevote.org/donate
