Election/Election Integrity

Election Officials Warn USPS About Key Issues With Voting By Mail Ahead Of Presidential Election

Voting center. (Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

A group of state and local election officials voiced concerns Wednesday regarding the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) capacity to efficiently handle the delivery of millions of ballots for the 2024 presidential election.

The National Association of State Election Directors and other officials wrote a letter to U.S. Postal Service Postmaster Louis DeJoy expressing concerns about USPS’ operations, such as processing delays, lost or delayed election mail and insufficient training that could impact the timely and accurate delivery of election mail. The officials stated in the letter that mailed ballots, postmarked by the required date during the past year and recent primary season, arrived at local election offices several days past the deadline for counting.

The officials also noted that election mail, despite being correctly addressed, was being returned as undeliverable, according to the letter. Despite ongoing discussions with USPS election personnel, the officials reported no noticeable improvements or proactive measures to address their concerns.

JUST IN – US election officials warn that widespread “performance issues” with USPS, “in nearly every state,” will disrupt mail-in voting.https://t.co/rCLU4MyNrg

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 11, 2024

“We have not seen improvement or concerted efforts to remediate our concerns,” the letter said. “In fact, many of the issues raised by election officials are echoed in the recent findings of the USPS Office of Inspector General Audit.”

In response, USPS has maintained that it is dedicated to the “timely and secure delivery of the nation’s Election Mail,” Reuters reported. The service noted improvements, stating that it currently delivers mail on average within 2.7 days and advised voters to send ballots at least one week before the election deadline to ensure timely delivery.

Additionally, the USPS has implemented “extraordinary measures” two weeks before Election Day to expedite ballot delivery, which includes additional pickups and special sorting plans, Reuters reported. USPS referenced that it successfully delivered 99.89% of ballots from voters to election officials within seven days during the 2020 general election.

A USPS Inspector General’s report from July also pointed out certain operational risks that could affect ballot counting, with recommendations for enhancing readiness for processing and delivery of ballots, according to Reuters.

USPS did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.