States where most voters cast their ballots by mail could face the greatest disruption if the Trump administration is allowed to impose new postal requirements before November’s midterm elections, a Newsweek analysis of federal election data shows. Oregon and Washington relied on mailed ballots for more than 98 percent of turnout in the 2024 general election, according to data from the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Hawaii, Utah and Colorado exceeded 90 percent, while California and Arizona also recorded mail-voting majorities, the EAC’s Election Administration and Voting Survey found.
Those seven states would have the greatest potential exposure to rules requiring election officials to submit voter information through a federal portal and use approved ballot-mail envelopes carrying unique Intelligent Mail bar codes. The data do not establish how many voters would be affected or whether any change would alter an election result. Use the map below to explore how widely mail voting was used in each state during the 2024 general election.
Postal Service (USPS) adopted a final rule requiring state and local election officials to provide specified voter information and use approved ballot-mail materials for federal elections. The administration says the measures would help enforce federal law and reduce the risk of fraud, while opponents argue the federal government lacks the authority to impose the requirements and that late implementation could disrupt established election systems. The rule remains blocked while litigation continues, with the administration asking the Supreme Court to allow its requirements to take effect before the November 3 midterms.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked the challengers to respond to the administration’s application by September 8. States where mailed ballots are the normal voting method would have more operations and voters intersecting with the new requirements than states where mail voting is comparatively rare. When approached for comment on Friday morning, USPS pointed Newsweek to a September 1 statement saying it was finalizing the Federal Ballot Mail Portal and would soon let election officials familiarize themselves with the platform voluntarily.
The agency said its work had remained consistent with court orders and that, under the temporary restraining order, "verification procedures prior to acceptance are not being performed." USPS said it was committed to "transparency, accountability, and working constructively" with election officials, Congress, the courts and other stakeholders. The clearest concentration of mail voting is in the West. Oregon recorded the highest share in 2024, with 99.3 percent of turnout conducted by mail.
Washington followed at 98.5 percent, while Hawaii stood at 92.5 percent, Utah at 91.5 percent and Colorado at 91.3 percent. California recorded an 80.8 percent share and counted 13,062,318 mail ballots. Arizona was next among the highest-use states at 74.7 percent, representing more than 2.8 million counted mail ballots under the measure used in the EAC’s detailed table.
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