Watchdog reviewing whistleblower’s mail-in voting rules warning

The U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General is reviewing a new system for handling mail-in ballots that could cause problems cause in the November midterms.

The watchdog said Tuesday that it will independently examine allegations raised by a whistleblower about the agency’s computer system that could jeopardize mail-in voting.

The whistleblower warned that USPS was rushing to develop an online portal to check information about voters receiving ballots by mail, and that the system was riddled with errors.

According to Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who publicized the allegations, the whistleblower claimed the project began around June 15 and was being developed in roughly three months, despite similar systems typically taking longer to build.

The whistleblower also alleged some testing was skipped and employees were unclear how the system was supposed to operate.

These problems , the whistleblower warned, could lead to eligible voters not receiving their ballots.

USPS has defended its work on the portal in a statement , saying it will ensure that mail-in ballots are received “securely, reliably and efficiently,” and that it is reviewing the concerns raised by Blumenthal and the whistleblower.

USPS Postmaster General David Steiner said that while the project was developed on an accelerated timeline, the agency’s “standards for quality, security, and system integrity were not compromised.”

“Testing and validation have been continuous throughout the development lifecycle, and our process requires that deployment be delayed whenever significant defects or security vulnerabilities are identified, until those issues are appropriately resolved,” Steiner said in a statement .

The new system is part of a broader Postal Service rule implementing an executive order President Trump signed in March.

Under the rule, states would have to provide USPS lists of voters receiving mail ballots, and USPS could refuse to send ballots that do not meet its requirements.

The rule was blocked by a judge from taking effect after U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the Trump administration and the Postal Service did not have the authority to impose the voting requirements.