Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley fires back at President Trump’s mail-in voting push as whistleblower warns new USPS system could reject entire batches of ballots

Oregon – Sen. Jeff Merkley announced he would fight to protect vote by mail after a whistleblower raised concerns about a new U.S. Postal Service system being developed under President Donald Trump’s efforts to change how mail-in ballots are handled ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“Trump’s crusade against mail-in voting was blocked by the courts—but according to a whistleblower, that hasn’t stopped him from trying to bend USPS to his will. HELL NO. I’ll fight to protect vote by mail,” Merkley said.

The Oregon Democrat’s comments came after a whistleblower inside the U.S. Postal Service reportedly warned that a rushed and insufficiently tested system could cause large batches of mail-in ballots to be rejected or delayed.

According to reporting by CNN and other outlets, the concerns center on changes directed by Trump that would require the Postal Service to verify voters before delivering mail-in ballots. The administration’s plans have faced legal challenges, with courts blocking implementation of key portions of the effort as election officials prepare for the November midterms.

The whistleblower, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, warned that the system being developed by USPS was “secretive, rushed, chaotic, and fundamentally flawed,” according to a disclosure made public this week.

One of the biggest concerns involves a proposed verification process for ballots being sent in large batches. Under the system described by the whistleblower, a problem with a single ballot’s barcode could potentially cause an entire batch to be rejected.

ProPublica reported that the system could reject a batch if even one barcode in a large shipment could not be properly scanned or matched with voter information. A batch could contain thousands of ballots, meaning one error could potentially delay the delivery of thousands of other ballots that otherwise met the requirements.

The Washington Post similarly reported that the whistleblower warned an entire batch could be rejected if a single barcode failed to match information submitted through a new USPS online portal. The disclosure described the system as operating under what the whistleblower called a “zero-percent failure policy.”

The concerns have added another layer to an already intense legal and political fight over mail voting.

Trump issued an executive order in March directing changes to the way mail-in voting is handled, including requirements involving voter eligibility information and the Postal Service’s processing of ballots. States and voting rights organizations challenged the order in court, arguing that the administration was attempting to impose major changes to election procedures that are traditionally administered by states.

The Postal Service has defended its work, saying the system was designed to provide a secure and efficient way for election officials to submit voter information. USPS has also maintained that it has been developing the system for months and intends to comply with court orders.

A USPS spokesperson said the agency was reviewing the whistleblower’s concerns and that instructions would be provided to election officials for using the system.

The issue has become particularly urgent because states are approaching deadlines for sending mail ballots to voters, including military and overseas voters. Election officials have warned that introducing a new system so close to the election could create logistical problems if the technology is not fully tested.

The Associated Press reported Thursday that a federal judge was considering whether to extend restrictions against the Postal Service’s plan. The case remains part of a broader legal battle over whether the administration can implement the mail-voting changes before the November election.

Other reporting has highlighted the potential scale of the problem. The Washington Post reported that states frequently send ballots in massive batches, with some jurisdictions mailing millions of ballots within a short period. Under the system described by the whistleblower, even a single mismatch could potentially interfere with an entire mailing.

ABC News also reported on the whistleblower’s warning, describing the potential consequences as “catastrophic failures” and noting concerns that the system’s zero-error approach could result in ballot delays or rejections.

For Merkley, the controversy represents another battle over access to mail-in voting. His comments signaled that he intends to oppose efforts he believes could interfere with voters receiving their ballots.

“HELL NO,” Merkley wrote, emphasizing that he would continue fighting to protect vote by mail as the legal battle over the Postal Service’s role in the 2026 election continues.