H.R. 9812: Protecting Mail-In Voting Act of 2026

This bill would limit the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to change its rules for handling mail-in or absentee ballots for a specific period of time.

What it would do

• It applies to USPS regulations issued after the bill becomes law and before January 3, 2027.
• If USPS adopts any new rule during that time that changes how its existing mail standards apply to ballot mail, that rule would be treated as invalid.
• This includes changes that would affect the effect, scope, or applicability of the current Domestic Mail Manual rules for ballot mail.
• It specifically bars USPS from adding new requirements for either the sender or the recipient of ballot mail during that period.

What “ballot mail” means here

The bill refers to ballot mail as used in USPS mailing standards, which generally means mail-in or absentee election ballots sent through the mail.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill would freeze USPS’s ballot-mail rules at their current level for the rest of 2026. USPS would not be able to make new regulations that make it harder, different, or more burdensome for mail-in ballots to be sent or received, at least under the rules covered by this bill.

Relevant Companies

None found.