SALEM, OR — Oregon has joined with 23 other states and Washington, D.C., to block the final rule published by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that would restrict vote-by-mail by giving the USPS the power to decide who gets a ballot. This rule was written in response to an executive order signed by the President.  Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is releasing the following statement:  "The November election is already underway. Now is not the time to change the rules. The USPS rule, like the executive order it arises from, is a clear attempt to make it harder for Americans to vote and undermine free, fair elections. It won’t work.  “The directive I issued yesterday instructs elections officials to proceed with running the next election as normal and according to Oregon law. If successful, this lawsuit will further protect our elections from illegal interference. Thank you to the Attorney General for his quick action to advance this critical work.  “We will continue pursuing all available options to protect Oregon's safe, accurate, and fair elections.”