California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 24 attorneys general, alongside the Governor of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on August 26, 2026. The lawsuit challenges a final rule that the coalition claims unlawfully interferes with the constitutional authority of states to administer elections by allowing the USPS to reject mail, offer non-postal services, and discriminate among mail users.
According to an August 26 statement, the lawsuit targets a final rule following President Trump's second elections-related Executive Order, No. 14399. The rule requires the USPS to issue regulations prohibiting the mailing of ballots for voters not included on new USPS lists of enrolled mail voters. The coalition is also seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to block the rule's implementation during litigation.
The legal action follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Monday, in which the court granted the Trump Administration's emergency request to stay an injunction that had previously blocked key provisions of the order for elections in the coalition states. While the Supreme Court ruled the coalition's challenge to the Executive Order was filed too early, it noted the coalition could still challenge the USPS rule implementing that order.
The USPS rule, announced on August 21, requires states to enroll every voter eligible to vote by mail with the USPS and tasks the agency with compiling state-specific lists. The rule also establishes new design requirements for mail-in ballot envelopes that must be approved by the USPS. Under the rule, the USPS stated it will not deliver ballots to voters not appearing on the generated lists or ballots in envelopes that fail to meet the new standards.
Attorney General Bonta argued that the rule is unconstitutional and interferes with the authority of states to manage elections. The coalition contends the rule imposes immediate burdens on election officials and jeopardizes mail-in voting. The lawsuit is co-led by Bonta and Attorneys General Andrea Joy Campbell of Massachusetts, Aaron Ford of Nevada, and Nick Brown of Washington.
