Baldwin, Evers Sound Alarm on USPS Mail Delays and Interference Ahead of Upcoming Elections

WISCONSIN - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers are sounding the alarm on multiple issues at the United States Postal Service (USPS) that will restrict Wisconsinites' ability to have their ballots counted in the upcoming elections. Specifically, Baldwin and Evers are calling on the USPS to immediately address severe delays that caused hundreds of Wisconsinites' ballots to arrive after Election Day in April. The lawmakers also urged USPS to immediately reverse course on implementing President Donald Trump's unconstitutional order to severely restrict vote-by-mail.

"Hundreds of absentee ballots received by the Postal Service before Wisconsin's Spring Election were delivered after Election Day, preventing them from being counted," wrote Senator Baldwin and Governor Evers in a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner and members of the USPS Board of Governors. "Now, USPS is rushing to implement President Trump's unconstitutional executive order that would, at best, significantly delay Wisconsinites' mailed ballots from reaching election officials and, at worst, allow the USPS to prevent a Wisconsin voter's fully legal, timely ballot from being counted at all. We call on the Postal Service to immediately resolve the issues that delayed ballots during Wisconsin's Spring Election, withdraw the rule that will add significant additional delays in ballot delivery, and ensure preparations for Wisconsin's fall elections prioritizes timely delivery of election mail."

In the letter, Senator Baldwin and Governor Evers underscore the importance of protecting mail-in voting for Wisconsinites and how President Trump's proposed rule could further jeopardize Wisconsinites' access to the ballot box. In 2024, 500,000 Wisconsinites used mail-in ballots, nearly 15% of all Wisconsin voters.

Despite the vital role of mail-in voting, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), which administers elections in Wisconsin, found that during Wisconsin's Spring Election this April, two-thirds of local election officials reported problems with the mail, and more than half reported receiving voter complaints and concerns about the Postal Service. According to WEC, one out of every four clerks reported receiving more late ballots than is typical for an election-with some reporting election mail taking 7 to 10 days or more to reach polling locations. Clerks also reported that some of the ballots they received after the election were not postmarked.

The lawmakers called on the Postal Service officials to address these delays ahead of this year's August 11th primary and November 3rd general election. They also called on the Trump administration to immediately reverse course on President Trump's executive order that illegally directs the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list made up of states' absentee voters' information. In a U.S. Senate Committee hearing, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed that if the rule is finalized, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver any mail-in ballots from states that did not comply with this new standard. The proposed rule could ultimately allow the Postal Service to determine whether millions of Americans can receive and cast ballots through the mail. A U.S. District Judge blocked the President's executive order limiting Americans' use of mail-in voting, but the Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling.

"Given the history of extremely close elections in Wisconsin, the President's unconstitutional executive order and the Postal Service's misguided rule very well could tip the scales of the election and deprive Wisconsinites from having their voices heard accurately," Baldwin and Evers wrote.

Previously, Senator Baldwin has spoken out in strong opposition and demanded that the USPS abandon this rule. Senator Baldwin has also called for an investigation into USPS delays that caused Wisconsin voters' ballots to arrive after Election Day this past spring.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Postmaster General Steiner, Chairwoman McReynolds, Vice Chairman Kan, Governor Stroman, and Governor Tangherlini:

We write to you about the United States Postal Service's (USPS) role in ensuring that Wisconsin's elections are fair and reliable and to express our serious concerns that USPS is threatening Wisconsinites' ability to exercise their right to vote. Hundreds of absentee ballots received by the Postal Service before Wisconsin's Spring Election were delivered after Election Day, preventing them from being counted. Now, USPS is rushing to implement President Trump's unconstitutional executive order that would, at best, significantly delay Wisconsinites' mailed ballots from reaching election officials and, at worst, allow the USPS to prevent a Wisconsin voter's fully legal, timely ballot from being counted at all. We call on the Postal Service to immediately resolve the issues that delayed ballots during Wisconsin's Spring Election, withdraw the rule that will add significant additional delays in ballot delivery, and ensure preparations for Wisconsin's fall elections prioritizes timely delivery of election mail.

In May, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) sent a letter to the Postmaster General expressing grave concerns about the performance of election mail for Wisconsin's Spring Election. The Commission is a bipartisan body that administers elections across the State of Wisconsin and assists election clerks in all 72 counties. WEC conducted a survey of Wisconsin's local election officials and found that two-thirds reported problems with the mail, and more than half reported receiving voter complaints and concerns about the Postal Service. One out of every four clerks reported receiving more late ballots than is typical for an election-with some reporting election mail taking 7 to 10 days or more to reach polling locations. Clerks also reported that some of the ballots they received after the election were not postmarked. This is unacceptable.

We appreciate the work of the men and women who deliver mail for the United States Postal Service every day, including during our elections. Our concern lies with the decisions and actions by USPS that are inconsistent with normal operations and threaten the ability of Wisconsinites to exercise their right to vote. We ask that you resolve any outstanding issues that caused delays in the delivery of Spring Election ballots before Wisconsin's upcoming elections this fall-the primary election on August 11, 2026 and the general election on November 3, 2026. We also echo the request from the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission to enact extraordinary measures for these elections to help ensure that every ballot reaches its destination as quickly as possible.

To add to these concerns, USPS has proposed a rule to implement President Trump's unconstitutional executive order that directs the Postal Service to create a federal mail-in voting list using absentee voter information collected from the states. Not only will this rule restrict vote by mail, but if this rule is put in place for the upcoming elections, it will create significant timing and logistical hurdles for Wisconsin voters. It will add days or longer to the process of mailing a ballot. Wisconsin's Spring Election demonstrated that the Postal Service is already struggling to deliver ballots on time. Adding days or more to the travel time of a ballot will most certainly lead to USPS preventing more eligible voters from having their ballots counted in future elections through no fault of their own. We ask that you abandon this proposed rule immediately.

These changes in USPS service are poised to disproportionately impact Wisconsin's rural residents. Roughly one in three Wisconsinites live in rural areas with reduced access to polling locations and drop boxes and often rely on voting by mail. These Wisconsinites will be subject to these unnecessary delays and more likely to have their ballots not make it to their clerk on time to be counted.

The implications of these delays cannot be overstated. In 2024, 500,000 Wisconsinites used mail-in ballots, nearly 15% of all Wisconsin voters. Also in 2024, both the Presidential and U.S. Senate elections were decided by less than 30,000 votes. Given the history of extremely close elections in Wisconsin, the President's unconstitutional executive order and the Postal Service's misguided rule could very well tip the scales of the election and deprive Wisconsinites from having their voices heard accurately.

The Postal Service has a critical responsibility to ensure that election mail is handled with the urgency and reliability that voters, election officials, and the public rightly expect. To meet this responsibility, USPS must address delays we saw in Wisconsin's Spring Election and not move forward with the rule restricting vote by mail. Ensuring the timely delivery of election mail is essential to protecting every eligible Wisconsinite's right to vote and maintaining public confidence in our elections. When ballots fail to arrive in time to be counted, voters are denied the opportunity to participate in our democracy through no fault of their own. These failures not only disenfranchise individual voters, but also erode trust in the reliability and fairness of our elections.

We appreciate your prompt attention to this important matter.

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