Whistleblower warns new USPS mail-in ballot system could threaten midterm elections

A whistleblower is sounding the alarm ahead of the midterm elections.

The anonymous official claims the U.S. Postal Service’s new system for handling mail-in ballots, implemented to comply with President Donald Trump’s order, could potentially create catastrophic problems.

Whistleblower warns of post office system flaws

What we know:

The whistleblower alleges the new online system is untested and rushed.

This comes after Trump signed an executive order limiting mail-in voting.

That effort is tied up in court, but the U.S. Supreme Court gave the administration a green light to keep working on it while lawsuits play out.

Legal battle over mail-in voting reaches courts

Local perspective:

Dallas attorney David Coale explained where the case currently stands with the courts.

"So right this second, the post office has been barred by a federal judge in Boston from proceeding to implement this executive order for mail-in ballots," Coale said. "The Trump administration has appealed that to the federal appellate level, and they’re awaiting a decision about whether or not that’s going to stay in place."

There is also an argument that voting rights could be violated if the USPS implements the ballot-check system.

Coale said the federal judge in Boston concluded there is a significant risk of what he called "irreparable injury," which is something that must be proven to put this kind of ban in place. He said many of the rules went into effect quickly, without much back and forth or evidence, while the election deadline approaches.

"Ordinarily, the courts are very reluctant to get involved in even the most serious constitutional issues shortly before an election because it just upends the whole election," Coale said.

The risks to midterm ballots

Big picture view:

If the case reaches the Supreme Court again, Coale said that the justices could consider how close the country is to the election and the practical consequences of implementing the system.

"This isn’t just some theoretical thing, it’s more concrete. The practical consequences have gotten greater, and so more people are waking up and wanting the courts to get involved," he said.

Coale also addressed what could happen if mail ballots begin going out before the system is implemented, as scheduled in North Carolina.

"That’s a serious question," he said. "That’s the reason why the rules shouldn’t be in effect, because the ballots have been printed and processed and sent out and prepared to be counted based on a set of rules. Changing the rules in the middle of the game is just not the way to go about it."

USPS and White House silence

What's next:

The United States Postal Service has not commented on the complaints made by the whistleblower.

The White House also has not responded.

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