Shapiro Sued Over Trump Backed Mail Voting Rule After SCOTUS Win

Election rules are back in the spotlight after a fresh legal clash over mail-in voting and the role of the U.S. Postal Service. A group of Democratic-led states, including Pennsylvania, says the new federal rule goes too far, while supporters argue it is aimed at tightening ballot security before a high-stakes midterm season.

Josh Shapiro has thrown Pennsylvania into the fight, joining attorneys general from 23 states and Washington, D.C., in challenging the USPS. The complaint targets a newly finalized rule tied to mail-in ballots for federal elections, and the states say Washington is trying to muscle into territory that belongs to state officials.

Shapiro made his position plain on X, saying, “I’m suing the Trump Administration to stop their unconstitutional attempt to change the rules and restrict mail-in voting. I’ll remind the President of my track record going up against him in court — and winning — to protect Pennsylvania’s free, fair, safe, and secure elections. I’m prepared to do so again,” Shapiro wrote on X. “Nothing about voting by mail has changed here in Pennsylvania. You can still vote safely and securely by mail.

“While Donald Trump may try to inject chaos into our elections, the Constitution is clear: the authority to set election rules belongs to the states — not the federal government.”

The legal fight comes right on the heels of a major Supreme Court win for Trump on mail-in voting. The court had already paused an earlier injunction that blocked parts of the executive order, saying the states moved too early because USPS had not yet issued a final rule when the first lawsuit was filed.

That final rule is now in place, and that changes the chessboard. The states say they are back in court because the agency has now acted, which they argue gives them a real target for a new challenge instead of a hypothetical one.

The rule, called “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections,” was published Wednesday and took effect last week. It would push state and local election offices to send information about intended mail ballot recipients into a USPS portal, where the agency would create state-specific lists of mail voters.

It also adds new ballot design demands, including trackable barcodes, and requires ballot-envelope designs to be submitted to USPS for approval. That is exactly the sort of federal involvement the states say crosses the line and turns a postal agency into a player in election administration.

In their complaint, the states argue that the rule could force election officials to change procedures on short notice, hand over voter-related information, and possibly scrap envelopes that were already purchased. With the midterms getting closer, the timing is part of the sting, because even small changes can ripple through election offices fast.

The states also say the Constitution leaves election rules to the states, and that Congress never handed USPS the power to rewrite how mail voting works. They contend that the Postal Service skipped the kind of review process usually required for major nationwide changes, which they say makes the whole move even shakier.

Trump allies are treating the Supreme Court victory as proof that the administration is on solid ground. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said, “The Supreme Court ruling was a major win for the security of American elections. Radical Democrats continue to oppose commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The Trump administration will continue to lawfully enact the agenda President Trump was elected on, which includes the safety and security of our elections.”

The states want the court to block the rule while the lawsuit moves forward, then throw it out entirely. They say the Supreme Court’s timing concern has now been answered because USPS has actually issued the rule, which means the dispute is no longer about a future possibility.

At the center of all this is a familiar battle over who gets the final word on elections. Democrats say the federal government is overreaching and trying to stir up confusion, while Trump’s team says the changes are about guarding against fraud and keeping ballots secure.

The Postal Service has not commented publicly on the lawsuit, leaving the court fight to do the talking for now. And with the midterms looming, the pressure around mail voting is only getting hotter as both sides brace for the next round.