Governor Lamont Urges U.S. Postal Service To Uphold Fair and Free Elections, Defend Mail-in Voting Methods

Nine Governors Call Upon U.S. Postmaster David Steiner To Reject President Trump’s Unconstitutional, Unpopular Proposal Threatening To Disenfranchise Millions of Americans

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and a coalition of other governors representing states across the U.S. have written a letter to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner urging him to unequivocally reject President Donald Trump’s proposed amendment to the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service (USPS), which would put an end to mail-in and absentee voting methods.

In the letter, the governors of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin say that this proposal is an unconstitutional attempt to disenfranchise voters and usurp state authority over elections.

“A healthy democracy depends on elections that are secure and accessible, and our Constitution gave states—not Washington—primary authority over elections for a reason,” Governor Lamont said. “This proposed rule isn’t designed to make our elections safer. Instead, it would hand control to the White House, make it harder for eligible voters to participate, and erode public trust in the process. The Postal Service was built to deliver mail, not gatekeep the ballot box, and Connecticut won’t stand for it.”

President Trump’s proposed rule, issued through an elections executive order defeated in a federal court, would create a national voter list determined by the federal government. Though this order was brought down in the courts, the USPS is considering implementing the proposed amendment to their mailing standards.

A violation of the USPS mandates, federal law, and the U.S. Constitution, the proposed rule would transform the Postal Service—a trusted institution and pillar of democracy—into an election administrating body. It would disenfranchise voters in states with Democrat and Republican leadership, ultimately removing a constitutional power of the states and giving it to President Donald Trump and his White House. There has been strong opposition from those representing rural states, where access to polling places is severely limited and many rely on mail-in voting.

The governors’ letter outlines the following principles:

• States safeguard the integrity and efficiency of elections, for the benefit of our democracy: The Elections Clause of the Constitution expressly gives states the authority to oversee federal elections—a hugely important logistical challenge that states are uniquely prepared to address at a local level. Since the founding of our nation, the states have developed deeply held, effective electoral systems, each specific to the state’s needs.
• The proposed rule would disenfranchise voters and usurp state authority: President Trump’s proposed absentee voter master list is an unlawful and insecure process of maintaining voter rolls that is subject to the president’s arbitrary and often punitive whims, as well as errors due to outdated or incorrect data. If this rule is implemented, the White House will determine which American citizens get to vote, as well as who will be denied, risking the disenfranchisement of millions of voters.
• The proposed rule must be withdrawn immediately—many states cannot wait: The implementation of this rule, shortly before a general election, would interrupt months of planning, systems testing, materials preparation, poll worker training, and voter registration and education. Requiring the USPS to do so would strain local and state resources, cast the upcoming elections into uncertainty, and effectively diminish trust in our democratic process.

**Download: Letter from coalition of governors to USPS on mail-in voting methods