{ "story_id": "0ee0580b9e761d7fa349b8885fdf2174", "desk": "drm3", "revision": 1, "published_at": "2026-09-04T00:41:18.000Z", "content_hash": "90c632d700b006c5b92cad7e828af2e48626887463133f533cfe319e9425df71", "hash_basis": "sha256 over `headline\\ndek\\nprose`, plus `\\n` + the canonical citations JSON when any source is placed, plus `\\n#blog` for blogs", "basis": { "headline": "US Whistleblower Warns of Mail-in Ballot Chaos Amid Trump Decree", "dek": "An anonymous USPS employee claims a Trump decree could cause massive ballot processing delays during the US Midterms.", "prose": "An anonymous employee of the US Postal Service claims to be working secretly on a system that could cause massive chaos during the US Midterm elections on November 3. [^1]\n\nThe Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on September 4, 2026, to lift a temporary order by Judge Indira Talwani that blocked a new USPS rule restricting mail-in ballots. [^2]\n\nThe administration of US President Donald Trump filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court to suspend a lower court order that was blocking the implementation of new mail-in voting regulations. [^3]\n\nGovernor Gavin Newsom of California stated on September 1 that officials who challenge judicial orders to interfere with elections should face prison sentences. [^4]\n\nThe Supreme Court has not yet decided whether President Trump can issue such a decree or if there is enough time to implement it before the Midterms. [^5]\n\nThe Supreme Court lifted the preliminary injunction in late August, ruling only that it was issued too early because plaintiffs could not yet know exactly how the decree would be implemented. [^6]\n\nUnder the new system, the Postal Service would scan barcodes on bundles of 10,000 mail-in ballots sent by states; if a single envelope does not match voter lists, all 10,000 ballots would be held until the dispute is resolved. [^7]\n\nJudge Indira Talwani issued a temporary order on August 27, 2026, blocking the rule for 14 days, finding it likely violates the US Constitution and is impossible for states to comply with given the rapidly approaching midterms. [^8]\n\nThe Supreme Court previously lifted an earlier injunction imposed by Judge Talwani in June on August 24, 2026, with a 6-3 conservative majority faulting a coalition of mostly Democratic-governed states for suing too soon. [^9]\n\nUnder the new rule, the USPS could refuse to send out ballots that do not comply with the new standards or are associated with voters who do not appear on the provided lists. [^10]\n\nA US federal judge recently stopped the implementation of Trump's decree for 14 days, which prompted the administration to seek immediate intervention from the Supreme Court. [^11]\n\nThe Supreme Court previously ruled in favor of Trump in August by vacating a federal court order that had blocked his mail-in voting plans, but the decision was based on procedural grounds rather than the substantive legality of the plans. 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