New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined a multistate lawsuit seeking to block a new U.S. Postal Service rule governing mail ballots before the November midterm elections.
The rule requires states to provide lists of mail voters to USPS and obtain federal approval for ballot-envelope designs. Ballots linked to voters absent from those lists or using unapproved envelopes could be rejected, according to the lawsuit.
James joined 23 other attorneys general and Pennsylvania's governor in the case. The coalition argues USPS lacks authority to determine who may vote by mail and says the late changes could disrupt election preparations.
States may need to redesign envelopes, add Intelligent Mail barcodes and create systems to transmit voter information just weeks before ballots are mailed, the attorney general's office said.
The lawsuit asks a court to stop the rule from taking effect. USPS processed nearly 100 million ballots during the 2024 general election, when about 30% of voters cast ballots by mail.
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