The United States Postal Service announces extraordinary measures, including extended hours and expedited handling, to secure ballot deliveries for the 2026 midterm elections. This follows a Supreme Court ruling blocking a Trump administration effort to restrict mail-in voting. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee is suing over last-minute Pentagon changes to overseas voting forms, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a military stand-down to help service members cast their ballots.
USPS extraordinary measures for ballot delivery
- ▪The United States Postal Service will establish "Ballot Postmark Only" lines at retail counters, offer drive-through Ballot Mail options, and conduct expedited handling, extra deliveries, and special ballot pickups.
- ▪From October 24 through the November 3, 2026 election, United States Postal Service carriers must check every delivery point for outgoing mail, and workers can use Priority Mail Express to expedite completed ballots.
- ▪The United States Postal Service announced on October 1, 2026, that it will implement extraordinary measures, including extending retail branch hours from October 4 through November 3, 2026, to ensure ballot delivery.
Court blocks USPS mail ballot rule
- ▪The blocked United States Postal Service rule was adopted following a March 2026 executive order issued by President Donald Trump aimed at tightening rules governing mail-in voting.
- ▪On September 14, 2026, the United States Supreme Court blocked the United States Postal Service from enforcing a rule that would have required states to provide mail ballot recipient lists and use barcode-outfitted envelopes.
Military stand-down ordered for voting
- ▪United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a one-day military stand-down to take place on or before October 15, 2026, to give service members time to obtain, complete, and return absentee ballots.
- ▪Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the military stand-down was necessary because voting for service members residing outside their home states has historically been time-consuming and complex.
Federal Post Card Application changes
- ▪The Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit on October 1, 2026, alleging the Trump administration broke the law by making last-minute changes to the Federal Post Card Application used by overseas voters.
- ▪In August 2026, the Pentagon requested emergency changes to eliminate an option on the Federal Post Card Application that allowed United States citizens who have never lived in the country to request ballots.
Military political leanings
- ▪Surveys suggest that the United States military, which includes about 2.1 million uniformed service members, has tended to lean more Republican than Democratic.
- ▪A March 2026 Rasmussen poll found that 57 percent of likely military voters would support the Republican candidate if congressional elections were held that day, compared to 35 percent supporting the Democratic candidate.
Mail-in voting trends
- ▪Surveys and historical voting data indicate that restricting mail-in ballots stands to benefit Republicans because Democratic voters disproportionately utilize mail-in voting options.
- ▪In the November 2024 presidential election, about 30 percent of votes were cast by mail, down from 46 percent in 2020.
Debatable claims
- ▪Overseas citizens who never lived in the U.S. should be allowed to vote
- ▪The USPS's extraordinary ballot-delivery measures are necessary to protect voting access
Story comments
Loading comments…