{
  "id": 4940640,
  "title": "The plot to disrupt mail-in voting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/the-plot-to-disrupt-mail-in-voting",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T21:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vox",
    "slug": "vox",
    "url": "https://www.vox.com/today-explained-newsletter/501557/mail-in-voting"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The US government rushed to construct a new system for processing absentee ballots ahead of the midterm elections, only to discover that the process was fraught with errors and delays. The whistleblower report reveals that the US Postal Service (USPS) hastily created a flawed and error-prone system to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order. This order, which has been paused, would have imposed stringent rules for preparing, tracking, and mailing ballots in states that opted to use mail-in voting.\n\nSeveral states have contested the executive order in court, arguing that it would disrupt the mail-in voting process. However, if the order goes into effect, the USPS will have to scramble to meet the new requirements, potentially leading to system crashes and delays in processing ballots. The new system requires every outbound ballot to be individually scanned, a process that could take an overwhelming number of hours, even in smaller states.\n\nThe source also highlights how the USPS was forced to design and implement new rules for ballot envelopes on August 21, far too late for many states that were already preparing to send out their ballots. These rules included the addition of a unique barcode and a specific logo on each envelope. The new requirements might not be feasible for states that need to mail ballots within a short span, particularly if they have to design, order, and distribute millions of compliant envelopes in a few weeks.\n\nThe situation is exacerbated by the fact that several states, such as Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, and California, rely heavily on mail-in voting for their elections. These states may not have the resources or time to comply with the new rules, potentially rendering mail-in voting impossible in those states. As a result, the future of mail-in voting in the US could be significantly impacted by the executive order and the challenges faced by the USPS in implementing it.",
  "summary": "This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. It took the US government two years to roll out HealthCare.gov, nine months to pilot a direct tax-filing tool…and just 11 weeks to build a new system for processing Americans’ absentee ballots. Before you […]",
  "key_points": [
    "US rushed to create flawed absentee ballot system for midterms",
    "USPS designed new rules for ballot envelopes too late for many states",
    "Mail-in voting in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, California may be impacted"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}