‘Sh*t Show!’ US Postal Service Whistleblower Reportedly Warns Trump’s Mail Ballot Rules Could Lead to Mass Disenfranchisement

Photo credit: Ethan Miller, Getty Images

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) officials reportedly branded the agency’s hurried development of a new Trump-ordered mail ballot system a “sh*t show,” according to a whistleblower raising “grave concerns” that the rules could ultimately disenfranchise millions of voters.

The allegation surfaced in a report published Tuesday by the office of Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), detailing claims from an unnamed USPS official about preparations for a new system governing how the agency handles mail-in ballots.

According to the whistleblower, requirements for the technology were never properly documented, and plans were “constantly changing” as staff raced toward a planned September 1 rollout.

Multiple officials used “sh*t show” to characterize the process during its final testing period, the report alleges.

USPS leadership allegedly “insisted that it was easy to understand what was needed and also that there was no time to write down the requirements.”

“Potentially millions of American voters may not receive their mail-in ballot this election cycle in a timely manner, or at all,” the official said.

Blumenthal was similarly stark, telling reporters on Tuesday: “The main takeaway for me is that the Postal Service has designed a system to disenfranchise millions of Americans. One-third of all Americans cast their ballots by mail, and the U.S.P.S. puts all of their votes at risk.”

At issue is a verification process was developed after President Donald Trump’s March executive order targeting mail voting. States would provide voter data to USPS before ballots are mailed, with the information checked again as batches enter the postal system.

The whistleblower alleges that “even one bar code on one single ballot” failing to scan correctly could stop a batch containing tens of thousands of ballots from moving forward until officials identify and correct the problem.

“As designed, the process is entirely unforgiving. It could delay ballots by the thousands in repeated verification cycles – and thus prevent states from mailing enormous numbers of ballots,” the report says.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani temporarily halted the USPS requirements last week after determining the agency likely lacked authority to impose them.

The whistleblower report, however, alleges development work continued following that order. The Justice Department is appealing the ruling.

Trump has repeatedly attacked mail voting and portrayed it as vulnerable to widespread fraud, despite casting mail ballots himself this year.

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