Whistleblower warns Trump mail ballot plan could be ‘catastrophic’

A whistleblower is alleging the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to implement President Donald Trump’s order exerting federal control of mail ballots risks “catastrophic problems” because of major flaws, and has moved forward despite a court order blocking it.

The whistleblower, a federal official with direct knowledge of the plan, describes a “secretive, rushed, chaotic, and fundamentally flawed process” in the report, which was prepared by the group Whistleblower Aid and sent to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut.

“The Whistleblower also raises grave concerns that the administration has hidden the high likelihood that the new ballot mail verification processes will result in major disruptions in mail ballots ever getting delivered to voters,” the report states.

Trump issued an executive order in March that moved to exert federal control over voter rolls and mail-in ballots. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop lists of eligible voters in each state and mandates the U.S. Postal Service to only deliver ballots to voters on the approved lists.

The move escalated Trump’s bid to place new restrictions on voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. It was condemned by Democrats and voting rights groups, who said…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/