JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The Jefferson County clerk and recorder is pushing back against a newly proposed U.S. Postal Service rule that would set new requirements for states that send mail ballots to voters — a change she says could delay or derail ballots for hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents ahead of November's election.
Clerk Amanda Gonzalez, who is running for secretary of state, sent a 13-page letter to USPS on Thursday strongly opposing the proposed rule, which was announced June 2 and would require election offices to provide USPS with lists of every voter scheduled to receive a ballot before those ballots can be mailed.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7's Veronica Acosta talks with Clerk Gonzales and a lawmaker who supports the proposed USPS rule
"I want to make sure that every eligible voter in Colorado is able to cast their ballot and have their ballot accurately counted," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez administers elections for approximately 450,000 registered voters in Jefferson County. Between 95 and 99% of those voters cast ballots mailed to their homes under Colorado law, according to the clerk and recorder.
In her letter, Gonzalez argues the proposed rule "inserts a new federal bureaucracy between voters and their ballots, increasing the risk of delays, errors, and voter disenfranchisement without advancing election security."
"Inserting people who are not elections experts just creates an environment for confusion and errors," she said.
The proposed rule would require USPS to perform what the agency calls a "validation" step — checking voter lists before ballots are delivered and again when ballots are returned. To do so, USPS would need to build a new "Postal Service Federal Ballot Mail Portal" that does not currently exist.
In her letter, Gonzalez argues USPS lacks both the expertise and the legal authority to take on that role. She writes that Colorado already maintains a statewide voter database with year-round list maintenance, and that creating a duplicate federal system would add days to ballot delivery at a time when election calendars leave little room for error. Under Colorado law, ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
Read the full letter:
Gonzalez also raises concerns about Jefferson County voters who are out of state during an election — including college students and residents who travel in winter months — whose ballots could be processed by post offices in other states with no clear access to Jefferson County's voter list.
However, not everyone shares her concern. Rich Wyatt, chairman of the Jefferson County Republicans, said he supports the federal government's involvement.
"I think the federal government taking charge is just what we need," Wyatt said.
Wyatt also said he prefers in-person voting over mail ballots.
"In-person voting is so much better," he said. "You walk in, you show your ID, heck, you get to meet your friends and neighbors, right?"
Gonzalez argues that position overlooks the reality of how Colorado elections work. The proposed rule stems from Executive Order 14399, signed March 31. In her letter, she notes that USPS is an independent agency not legally required to follow the executive order, and that the rule as written would violate USPS's own governing statute, which requires the agency to provide "prompt, reliable, and efficient" mail services.
She is also objecting to how USPS is handling public comments on the proposal. The agency is requiring anyone who wants to review submitted comments to do so in person at USPS headquarters in Washington, D.C. — by appointment only — despite accepting comments by email.
"Changes of this magnitude affecting the fundamental right to vote should be considered in the sunlight of public view with full transparency," Gonzalez writes in the letter.
The comment period is 30 days, with a potential final rule deadline of July 29, 2026 — weeks before some states begin mailing ballots for the November election.
For voters like Phyllis Williams, who drops off her ballot every election cycle, the stakes feel personal.
"Very important," Williams said when asked how much voting means to her.
Williams said she takes her civic responsibility seriously.
"Every time there's an election, I am here and I read and I research, and thank goodness for that," she said.
Gonzalez said she felt compelled to send the letter on behalf of voters like Williams.
The USPS has not responded publicly to comments submitted during the rulemaking period.
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