New US mail voting rules take effect as states warn of midterm disruption

New US restrictions on mailed ballots took effect on Thursday, leaving state and local election officials racing to comply – or persuade a federal judge to intervene – weeks before millions of ballots are due to be sent to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections. The US Postal Service rules require election authorities to assign unique bar codes to outgoing and return ballot envelopes, submit voters’ names, addresses and corresponding bar code information through a new federal portal, and..