Issue 018 · Sept 7th 2026
I’m Just An Executive Order -
Schoolhouse Rock! the UNMUTED Revival
So, Republicans believe our elections are insecure (and that Democrats are cheating) and Dems believe that Republicans want to suppress votes, especially poor people who can’t take work off (and in their eyes, poor = vote Democrat). Here’s the timeline on the mail in ballot drama sweeping the nation. FYI, 39 million ballots (35% of total) were mail-in during the 2022 midterm elections.
March 31: Trump signs EO 14399, directing the Postal Service to police mail ballots: states to upload lists of eligible voters to federal portal, unique barcode on every ballot envelope, and USPS sign-off on ballot design. Also, USPS can refuse to deliver ballots for anyone not on the list. Dem state lawsuits follow within days.
June 25: Obama appointed federal judge, Indira Talwani (an Obama appointee), finds key provisions of the order unconstitutional - state and Congress should control elections, not President. Admin appeals.
August 24: The Supreme Court, 6-3 along ideological lines, lifts June injunction, ruling the states' challenge was premature because USPS hadn't finalized its rule yet. The justices did not rule on whether the order is legal.
August 26-Sept 4: USPS finalizes the rule and declares it in effect. Dem states and DC sue over the finalized version, same argument as before. Same judge issues a 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) followed by a preliminary injunction on September 4. The same day, North Carolina sends its first ballots; Alabama follows days later.
Now: Trump admin is back at the Supreme Court asking the justices to lift Talwani's latest block. Responses from the states are due today, September 8. The core constitutional question, whether a President can do this at all, is still unanswered with Election Day (November 3) closing in. Let's get into it.
→ A bar code is not a “poll tax”.
The data shows that voters of every partisan stripe trust elections less than they ever have, though the reasons differ substantially by leaning. Elections can’t work if the perception (regardless of fact) of their integrity is in question. If you had a stockholder vote for a company, and that company required a unique identifier on each mail-in vote, as well as a list of who was sent one, nobody would bat an eye. On first principles, this is an incredibly standard reconciliation. Plus, the states keep control of who goes on the list. So, if the requirements are modest, and it increases confidence in the overall voting process, isn’t that GOOD for building election trust back, even if you think it’s not necessary personally? We spend our tax dollars on much less helpful, more expensive things already - hardly an argument on excess government spending. And of course, if you don’t like it, you can just….vote in person.
← States run elections, not the Post Office.
You can’t build trust back in elections by offering self-interested reforms (even if they are sensible on their face). The Trump admin hasn’t even tried to earn the trust of independents or Democrats - any trust gained will be offset by loss in trust by other voters - so what have we solved? The timeline also makes compliance very difficult even for a private company: new ballot designs, federal approval, a portal, retrained staff, and uploaded voter data. Given these obvious constraints, how can the outcome be anything other than errors in mail-in ballots and thus, less Dem votes? Hard not to be cynical on intent.
- NYC Event to Learn More -
National Voter Registration Day
When: Tuesday, September 15 All Day
What: Feels relevant - Republicans! This is your chance to tip the scales in the liberal Mecca of America, Brooklyn! Democrats! Staten Island calls for you!
- Curated Articles -
The Liberal Case for Voter ID Laws (Milan Singh, The Argument) Not directly tied to mail in ballots, but an excellent version of the “trust” idea above.
Analyzing the President’s Executive Order on Mail Voting (Wendy Weiser & Sean Doyle, The Brennan Center for Justice) Efficient summary of the constitutional and implementation issues with the mail-in voting executive order.
When Will They Reach the Supreme Court? That Depends (Rick Hasen, Election Law Blog) Nice little summary of how the judicial path could turn out. Strongest recommend here if you’ve already decided what you think.
The Room at UNMUTED - THIS Thursday
If you use AI, you know how tempting it is to cede your critical thinking to asking Chat or Claude. If you don’t, you don’t exist because everyone uses AI and is lying if they say they don’t! This is especially problematic in higher education - and strikes at a fundamental question: is higher education’s primary purpose to educate or to credential for employment? And in either case, will AI ultimately strengthen the value prop of higher ed, or will it expose higher ed as a base credentialing service.
Turns out you can find out the answer next Thursday, when the founder of the Princeton Review goes head to head with a former employee and current SUNY admissions director Akil Bello. First time UNMUTED moderator Radhika Rajumar and 3x UNMUTED comedian and legend Andrea Jones-Rooy will join for a battle of wits and will!
In partnership with the Future of Higher Education. If you have opinions, and more importantly, are curious why you could be wrong, join us. BUT if you can’t make it, subscribe here to stay updated on all of our upcoming events.
Is this caption AI? Is this description AI? What isn’t AI?
Leave the house NEXT week in
NYC
Wed 9/16, 7 PM
I Disagree
Scott Galloway (Raging Moderates) +
Jessica Tarlov (I Disagree)
Raging Moderates who are also F*cking Expensive Moderates (tickets are min $85)! Civil discourse for the elite class - Jessica’s book is the topic.
Produced by 92NY, Raging Moderates
Hosted at 92NY
Wed, 9/16, 12 PM
Against Tech Oligarchy
JS Tan (author) +
Clarissa Redwine (author, sick last name)
I know it’s early in the day but I really liked the mix of moderate, conservative, and lib for events this week! Hate tech? LOVEEE labor? This is for you!
Produced by Columbia U CSS
Hosted at Columbia University
Thurs, 9/17, 7 PM
Beyond The Mission
Commander Greg Bovino
Discussion and Q&A on Border Patrol, illegal immigration, and ICE from a law enforcement vet.
Produced by NY Young Republicans Club
Hosted at HIDDEN
That’s all for now. See you Space Cowboy…