// HACKER NEWS — CYBERSECURITY
Whistleblower warns Postal Service mail ballot system has catastrophic problems
Updated on: September 1, 2026 / 10:19 AM EDT
/ CBS News
Washington — A whistleblower is warning of "potentially catastrophic problems" with the U.S. Postal Service's new system for handling mail ballots. The whistleblower is accusing the agency of flouting court rulings by continuing to work on implementing a Trump executive order to tighten mail voting rules before the November midterm elections.
Described by lawyers as a federal official, the anonymous whistleblower revealed the information about the Postal Service's mail-voting procedures in a disclosure provided to Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut that was made public Tuesday. In response, Blumenthal is now questioning Postmaster General David Steiner about the Postal Service's development of a new online portal to house information about voters and their mail ballots.
"The main takeaway for me is that the Postal Service has designed a system to disenfranchise millions of Americans," Blumenthal told reporters. "One third of all Americans cast their ballots by mail, and the USPS puts all of their votes at risk."
The Postal Service said it received Blumenthal's letter and is carefully reviewing the concerns raised by the senator and the whistleblower.
"The United States Postal Service has spent months developing a U.S. Federal Ballot Mail Portal to provide election officials with a simple, secure, and efficient way to share lists of individuals receiving ballots by mail in their respective states. This work has at all times been conducted in a manner consistent with court orders," the agency said in a statement.
The Postal Service said it is finalizing the portal and will "soon" make it available to election officials to voluntarily use.
"Regardless of political party or perspective, we share a common goal: ensuring that Americans can have confidence that their election mail will be handled securely and delivered reliably," it said.
President Trump has sought to exert more federal control over U.S. elections ahead of the November midterms, including through his executive order imposing new restrictions on mail ballots. The president has also pushed Congress to approve a package of voting regulations that would outlaw mail voting — with some exceptions — and impose new proof-of-citizenship requirements to register to vote.
As Mr. Trump signed his executive order in March, he claimed that "the cheating on mail-in voting is legendary," and said new mail voting rules were needed to ensure the integrity of federal elections. But his administration has not put forth evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the president himself has cast ballots in Florida's elections by mail.