The National Association of State Election Directors and other officials sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service Postmaster Louis DeJoy, voicing concerns that USPS may not be prepared to process mail-in ballots efficiently.
“Over the course of the last year, election officials across the country have raised serious concerns about processing facility operations, lost or delayed election mail, and front-line training deficiencies impacting USPS’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner,” the letter says.
The officials noted that they “have not seen improvement or concerted efforts to remediate” the concerns.
Local election officials have received “timely postmarked ballots well after Election Day and well outside the three to five business days USPS claims as the First-Class delivery standard,” the officials wrote. They explained that in some cases, election officials have reported receiving “anywhere from dozens to hundreds of ballots 10 or more days after postmark.”
“We implore you to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues with USPS election mail service,” the letter added. “Failure to do so will risk limiting voter participation and trust in the election process.”
In response to the letter, USPS said it is “committed to the timely and secure delivery of the nation’s Election Mail,” Reuters reported. If local and state election officials inform USPS of any issues, they will address them.
USPS added that it currently delivers mail in 2.7 days but recommended that “voters should mail their completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week prior to their state’s deadline.”
