United States of America - March 2026

In March 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on citizenship verification and mail-in ballots, directing federal agencies to compile and transmit voter citizenship lists to state authorities and introducing new requirements related to ballot administration. Election law experts and civil society organisations warned that the order encroaches on powers constitutionally reserved for states and Congress, particularly under the Elections Clause. Critics further argued that the order would unduly empower the U.S. Postal Service to regulate mail-in ballots. The executive order gives the USPS 60 days to propose rules for mail-in or absentee ballot services, including regarding envelope design and verification of eligibility through mail voter lists compiled by federal agencies. Several organisations announced legal challenges, framing the measure as a potential threat to the integrity and balance of the electoral system, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

Update: On 29 June, a federal court ruled key provisions of the executive order to be unconstitutional. It held that federal agencies could not use the order as basis to interfere with states’ mail-in voting procedures or voter rolls, further barring the Postal Service from restricting mail ballots. The same day, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld, in a separate case, a Mississippi law that allowed counting mail-in ballots arriving up to five days after election day, provided they had been postmarked on or before the date of the election.

Sources: AP, Reuters, CNBC, White House, The Guardian, Brennan Center, ACLU, Supreme Court of the United States, BBC, The White House, ACLU