It's not 2020 anymore — heck, it's not even 2022 — but y'all know we still have a big problem with "mail-in voting" in this country.
At least where Democrats control things, anyway:
So, as CNN reports, this plan by the Trump administration seems absolutely right over target:
State election officials could soon face a stark choice: Hand over voter lists to the Trump administration or risk losing Postal Service delivery for mail-in ballots. ...
The proposed rules lay out new conditions that states would have to meet to send ballots through the mail, including giving the agency lists of all voters set to receive mail ballots.
That's a great plan! It only makes sense when you think about it — if voters are participating in federal elections then it is absolutely proper that federal election officials have accurate information about those voters. We've seen the results when that's not the case!
Honestly, who could object? Well, obviously, Democrat officials could! As CNN reports, "so far, 23 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia are suing, as are Democratic Party leaders and non-partisan voter advocacy groups."
(Ah, yes, "non-partisan" "voter advocacy groups." Sure!)
In an ideal country, of course, we wouldn't have "mail-in voting" except in exceptional circumstances; instead we'd all just vote on election day, as is the case in many other nations.
Perhaps we'll get that anyway! Per CNN, "Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat whose state is part of the coalition that filed a legal challenge in Boston, said that if courts rule for the Trump administration, 'then you will see a virtual elimination of mail-in voting, unless the states supply voter lists to the federal government'."
Sounds like a good deal to me!
Here's some more information about the role the Postal Service will play in this policy:
While the language the Postal Service drafted still leaves states in charge of deciding which voters end up on the lists submitted to the agency, it tells USPS not to send ballots for states that don't follow that process. The states' mail balloting programs must meet other requirements in Trump's order for USPS to deliver their ballots, potentially forcing some jurisdictions to completely redesign their mail voting materials.
The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, told CNN that it was committed to "restoring integrity to our election systems and ensuring that American citizens and only American citizens are electing American leaders."
Let's hope!
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