CA, US & World
USPS Whistleblower Raises Concerns Over New Mail Ballot System
A whistleblower report is raising concerns about the U.S. Postal Service's development of a new system to verify mail ballots, alleging the agency is rushing the project and keeping some planned procedures from the public.
The report, released Tuesday by Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, was prepared by attorneys for an unnamed USPS whistleblower. It alleges that the system is being developed under mandates issued by President Donald Trump and could create additional risks for election officials and voters.
The USPS system would require states to submit lists of mail voters. Under the proposed process, the Postal Service could refuse to deliver batches of ballots if information submitted by election officials does not match information identified by USPS scanners on ballot envelopes.
The whistleblower alleges USPS information technology teams were expected to have less than a week to test the system once development was complete. The timeline comes as states prepare to begin sending ballots. North Carolina is scheduled to begin sending ballots this week, with other states following later in September.
The report also describes what it calls a disorganized development and testing process. According to the whistleblower, system requirements were frequently changing and were not clearly documented for developers.
The report alleges that multiple people internally described the final week of testing as a "sh*t show." It also says only four days were allotted for user testing under the planned timeline.
"For a system that manages something as important as handling voting and ballots, 4 days of user testing is entirely unreasonable," the report said.
The concerns extend to the system's proposed verification process. According to the whistleblower, election officials would first have to ensure that voter information in the USPS portal matches information contained in manifests submitted for each batch of ballots.
When ballots are delivered to USPS facilities, the envelopes could be scanned individually or through sampling, depending on the location. The report alleges that if even one envelope does not match the information in the system, USPS could refuse to deliver the entire batch until the discrepancy is resolved.
"As designed, the process is entirely unforgiving," the report said, warning that repeated verification problems could delay large numbers of ballots.
The system's implementation is also facing legal challenges. A judge last week blocked requirements that states use the system if they want USPS to deliver their ballots, although the Postal Service can still offer the portal to states that voluntarily provide voter information. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling.
Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar criticized the Postal Service's role in the process, saying states, rather than the federal government or USPS, are responsible for running elections.
CNN has reached out to USPS for comment.
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By: CNN Newsource
September 1, 2026
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