Attorney General Steve Marshall recently led a multi-state letter in support of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed rule that would strengthen mailing standards for the transmission of mail-in ballots for federal elections.
Stemming from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, the rule would require states to submit lists of voters receiving mail-in or absentee ballots before the agency delivers them. The USPS would cross-reference ballot envelopes with the submitted lists.
“States are the leaders in regulating elections, and yet despite our best efforts to enact policies to deter and detect fraud, voter fraud continues to be a problem,” Marshall said. “We appreciate the federal government lending a helping hand to shore up our elections and help states provide Americans with confidence in our system,” Attorney General Marshall said. “Let’s be clear, we run our elections well in Alabama, but this is still happening right here in our state, with multiple documented cases of absentee ballot fraud just in the past year. And while we in Alabama can do all we can to secure our elections, Alabamians deserve to know that national elections held in other states are also secure since they affect us as well.”
The proposed rule change was temporarily blocked by the courts, ruling that it unconstitutionally infringed on state authority to manage elections. It also faced backlash from civil rights and voting rights organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Those who support the rule change state in the letter that the rule would tighten the chain of custody and reduce the problems that make mail-in voting more susceptible to fraud.
“In short, we support the Service’s proposed rule in full,” the letter reads. “It addresses real vulnerabilities inherent in mail-in voting, responds to legitimate and widespread public concerns about federal election integrity, and equips states with tools that strengthen their own oversight capabilities without displacing their authority. We urge the Service to promptly finalize the rule.”
The Alabama-led letter was joined by the attorneys general from Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
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