ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OPPOSES POSTAL SERVICE’S UNLAWFUL ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE VOTING RIGHTS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OPPOSES POSTAL SERVICE'S UNLAWFUL ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE VOTING RIGHTS

July 02, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 24 attorneys general, took action to oppose the U.S. Postal Service's attempt to aid the president's efforts to seize control of elections and restrict mail-in voting through a proposed rule. The coalition is calling on the Postal Service to withdraw the proposed rule, which the attorneys general argue would violate a recent court order.

"In recent weeks, courts have affirmed that Congress and individual states - not the president - have the authority to oversee the elections process. Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that Illinois voters can continue to cast their mail-in ballots through Election Day this fall and going forward," Raoul said. "Despite these rulings, the president continues to seek ways to limit voting and potentially disenfranchise voters. The right to vote is at the very core of our nation's democracy. In Illinois, we are focused on maximizing voter participation - not voter suppression. I call on the Postal Service to rescind this unlawful proposal."

On March 31, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to establish a national list of eligible voters and directing the Postal Service, an independent federal agency, to transmit mail-in ballots only to those on the list. In the order, the president threatened states and elections officials with criminal prosecution and the loss of federal funding if they do not comply with his demands.

A federal judge struck down that executive order last week in a lawsuit filed by Raoul and a coalition of attorneys general. However, the Postal Service has so far not rescinded its proposed rule to implement Trump's illegal executive order. Under the proposed rule, the Postal Service would create a centralized list of voter information and would refuse to deliver ballots to any eligible voter who is not on that list, essentially giving the federal government control over elections conducted by mail.

The Postal Service's proposed rule would enact these unconstitutional changes before the 2026 election. Implementing these changes would require states to upend their existing election administration procedures for upcoming elections and conduct statewide voter education mere months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election. Such drastic and rapid changes would undoubtedly create confusion, chaos and distrust in state election systems, threatening to disenfranchise eligible voters.

In their comment letter, Raoul and the attorneys general argue that the federal court's order prevents the Postal Service from finalizing the proposed rule and urge the Postal Service to withdraw it. They maintain that allowing the rule to go into effect would amount to an unconstitutional overreach by the federal government. The Constitution does not allow the president to unilaterally impose changes to federal election procedures, particularly without an act of Congress permitting him to do so. The attorneys general also argue the proposed rule conflicts with the Postal Service's governing statutes and other federal voting laws.

State and federal law entitle all eligible voters to cast ballots and have their votes counted in state and federal elections. Voters of all parties, in all states, and of every background utilize mail-in voting, including the president himself. This week's Supreme Court decision in Watson v. Republican National Committee reaffirmed states' authority to administer their elections, like permitting voters to cast ballots by mail and states to count all mail-in ballots cast through election day.

Raoul reminds voters in Illinois that they can vote by mail for any reason, and mail-in ballots can be requested up to five days before an election. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by midnight on Election Day. More information about the voting process and voter registration status can be found through the Illinois State Board of Elections or through local election authorities' or county clerks' offices. Voters can confirm the location of their polling places with their local election authorities or the State Board of Elections.

Today's comments are the latest action in Raoul's ongoing efforts to protect free and fair elections, to encourage voter participation, and to oppose several recent efforts to undermine our secure elections. Last week, Raoul also secured a permanent injunction blocking key provisions of another executive order issued by Trump that attempted to conscript state election officials in the president's campaign to require documentary proof of citizenship, such as a U.S. passport, for voter registration, force states to ignore mail-in ballots that are cast by Election Day but received by election officials just days afterward, and withhold various streams of federal funding from the states if they fail to comply. Raoul joined a coalition of attorneys general in challenging the order, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled in their favor, declaring the challenged sections of the executive order unconstitutional and inconsistent with federal law.

It has been the longstanding practice of the Attorney General's office to monitor elections in Illinois to ensure that voters' rights are protected and polling places are accessible. Raoul's office also frequently provides information to voters about their rights. Voters can also access a free guide on identifying and avoiding election misinformation and election-related financial fraud by visiting the Attorney General's website.

Joining Raoul in submitting today's comment letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.