Merkley, Wyden, Democratic Colleagues Demand USPS Uphold Federal Law Over President Trump’s Illegal Executive Order to Restrict Vote by Mail

Merkley, Wyden, Democratic Colleagues Demand USPS Uphold Federal Law Over President Trump’s Illegal Executive Order to Restrict Vote by Mail April 22, 2026 Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined over 30 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding the United States Postal Service (USPS) uphold existing federal law over the executive order signed by President Trump. “The Constitution provides no role for the President in regulating federal elections. And no statute delegates to the President any authority to regulate elections or voter eligibility either, including via USPS,” wrote the Senators. “By issuing the executive order, however, the President is attempting to unconstitutionally consolidate power to personally regulate American elections.” The executive order, which is being challenged by Oregon and 22 other states in court, would direct USPS to create and maintain “Mail-in Absentee Participations Lists” that would determine which voters are eligible to receive and cast absentee ballots through the mail. The order attempts to turn the Postal Service into a federal election administrator and regulator, when it is supposed to be a nonpartisan agency whose only priority is to deliver the mail. This directive from the administration will have a chilling effect on the eligibility of American voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote by imposing unnecessary barriers and would corrupt the independent mission of the Postal Service to determine who can vote by mail. The Senators continued: “These directives clearly infringe on the states’ and Congress’ constitutional role to regulate the manner in which federal elections are held and would deny eligible voters their ability to cast a ballot. The prohibition on transmitting ballots from individuals not on the absentee voter list acts as a ban on vote-by-mail for any state unwilling to share its absentee voter lists with USPS or any voter who happens to be excluded from the list. Furthermore, under this executive order, it is the Postal Service who will have the final say about whether to transmit a voter’s absentee ballots to election officials—granting USPS the ability to disenfranchise American voters.” “For over 250 years, the Postal Service has bound our country together with a constitutionally recognized mail service, and for 250 years, the American people have democratically elected their leaders. Any attempt to effectuate this order would violate the Constitution, break these bonds, and threaten the foundations of American democracy,” the Senators concluded. The letter was led by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Joining Merkley and Wyden in signing the letter were Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA),  Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Read the full letter to the U.S. Postal Service here . ###