Local elections judge urges comment on proposed USPS rule limiting mail‑in ballots

During the public‑comment period of the Erie County Board of Elections meeting on June 8, 2026, Freda Tepper, who identified herself as a judge of elections and an Erie County resident, urged attendees and the public to oppose a proposed federal rule affecting mail‑in ballots. She said the rule — described in the federal register and attributed to the Trump administration — would require states to send the U.S. Postal Service a list of people set to receive mail‑in ballots and that only those on the list would receive them.

Tepper thanked local election staff by name, saying, "I want to, as a judge of elections and and other resident of Erie County, once again thank the election department staff, especially Sue and Tonya and um all the other people who work with them and Jim Zarpac for making it making it a smooth election for us." She then urged people to review the federal‑register notice and submit comments, citing privacy concerns and potential problems with postal processing. She said there are lawsuits challenging the proposal and suggested the Board might consider weighing in.

The board did not take any formal action on the proposal during the meeting. No staff or board member provided a substantive response on the record to the concerns Tepper raised; the item remained a public comment without follow‑up action at that session.