Whistleblower claims USPS plan for Trump's mail voting order could 'derail' midterms

The warning comes as mail voting for the midterms is set to begin this week. A court order has blocked key parts of Trump's executive order for now, including requirements that states comply with the new rules, but USPS has been building toward a launch anyway. The agency spent months developing an online portal that would let state election officials submit absentee voters' names and ballot envelope barcodes tied to the now-blocked directive.

For people in Lubbock who vote by mail, the picture right now is murky. The court block means states do not currently have to follow Trump's new requirements, but the postal service has been preparing as if those rules will eventually take effect. If courts lift the block and USPS rolls out an untested system in the middle of an active election, the whistleblower report suggests the consequences could be significant enough to disrupt the entire midterm process.

Lubbock County has a large population of elderly and disabled residents who rely on absentee ballots, making any disruption to mail voting more than just a procedural headache.

The portal USPS built sits ready, the courts have not made a final call, and the ballots are already moving.