NC Attorney General Jackson sues to stop Postal Service ballot control

State Attorney General Jeff Jackson and other state attorneys general are suing to stop the U.S. Postal Service from controlling who receives absentee ballots. 

The lawsuit stems from President Donald Trump’s executive order that would have the US Postal Service block delivery of some absentee ballots. 

Under the Postal Service rules, it would direct the design of absentee ballot envelopes to include barcodes and require states to compile lists of eligible voters. People not on those lists would not receive absentee ballots. 

The U.S. Supreme Court gave Trump a procedural victory on Monday when the majority issued an emergency opinion that the administration could proceed with plans described in the executive order while lower courts consider legal challenges. 

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, 24 attorneys general and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro challenged the Postal Service rule as unconstitutional and unlawful. 

The Constitution is clear that states regulate and administer elections, unless Congress says otherwise, the lawsuit says. 

North Carolina is set to start mailing out absentee ballots on Sept. 4. 

Implementation of these rules for the midterm elections means that eligible voters won’t receive their ballots in time for them to be mailed and returned in time to be counted, Jackson’s office said in a news release. 

“The Constitution is clear on this: The states have the authority over elections, not the Postal Service,” Jackson said in a statement. “Not only is this last-minute rule change against the law, but it threatens North Carolinians’ voting rights and imposes a whole new process right before an election. We’re taking the Postal Service to court to stop it.”

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.