The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is retreating from a plan to collect data on mail-in voters, following legal challenges to President Trump's executive order.
The Justice Department filed a notice Monday hedging the data-sharing plan, now describing it as preliminary and dependent on a new Postal Service rule. - The Justice Department reversed a Friday notice that said DHS planned to integrate Postal Service voter data to monitor mail ballots and identify fraud.
- A memo from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin authorizes only preliminary conversations with USPS, pending legal and privacy reviews. - The executive order faces multiple lawsuits but has not been paused by a federal judge.
- Critics argue the order is unconstitutional and endangers Postal Service independence. The administration has also filed over 30 lawsuits seeking state voter rolls, none successful so far.