Attorney General Jones Joins Multistate Opposition to Postal Service’s Attempt to Undermine Voting Rights

Attorney General Jones Joins Multistate Opposition to Postal Service’s Attempt to Undermine Voting Rights 

RICHMOND, Va. -- Attorney General Jones joined a multistate coalition of 24 attorneys general in filing a formal comment letter opposing the United States Postal Service’s attempt to aid the president’s efforts to seize control of elections and restrict mail-in voting through a proposed rule and asking the Postal Service to withdraw the proposed rule. 

“Mail-in voting is safe and fair under Virginia’s election laws. This refusal to rescind the proposed rule is a blatant attack on voting rights and part of a larger effort to create confusion and chaos ahead of the 2026 midterms,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “The people will not let these strikes on fundamental rights go without a fight and this office is ready to use every legal resource to stand up against federal overreach.” 
   
On March 31, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to establish a national list of eligible voters and directing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), an independent federal agency, to transmit mail 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 in a lawsuit joined by Attorney General Jones, with the order applying to 24 states total. Nevertheless, the USPS has so far not rescinded its proposed rule to implement Trump’s illegal executive order. Under the proposed rule, USPS 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. 

In the comment letter, the attorneys general argue that this proposed rule violates the federal court’s order, which enjoins the Postal Service from finalizing the proposed rule, and also amounts to an unconstitutional power grab 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 USPS’s governing statutes and other federal voting laws. 

The 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. 
 
State and federal laws 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. 

The formal comment letter was led by the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington, and they are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. 

Published on: July 8, 2026

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