State and local election officials have sounded the alarm over persistent problems with the U.S. Postal Service that could potentially disrupt the upcoming presidential election.
In a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, officials from across the country warned of widespread mail delivery issues that threaten to disenfranchise voters, as reported by The Western Journal.
The letter, signed by representatives from two groups representing top election administrators in all 50 states, outlined several concerns. These include timely postmarked ballots arriving after counting deadlines and properly addressed election mail being returned as undeliverable. The officials stressed that these problems are not isolated incidents but rather indicate a systemic issue within the postal service.
The election officials expressed frustration with the lack of progress in addressing their concerns despite repeated outreach to the Postal Service. They emphasized the critical nature of the situation, stating:
We implore you to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues with USPS election mail service. Failure to do so will risk limiting voter participation and trust in the election process.
This urgent call for action comes at a crucial time, with the 2024 presidential election rapidly approaching. The first mailed ballots for the general election were sent to Alabama voters on the same day the letter was issued, underscoring the immediacy of the situation.
The concerns raised by election officials stand in stark contrast to recent statements made by Postmaster General DeJoy. Less than two weeks before the letter was sent, DeJoy had expressed confidence in the Postal Service's ability to handle the expected flood of mail ballots for the November election.
According to Postal Service officials, nearly 98% of ballots were returned to election officials within three days in 2020, with that figure rising to almost 99% in 2022. DeJoy has stated that the Postal Service is better positioned to handle ballots now than it was four years ago.
However, the experiences reported by election officials paint a different picture. The letter indicates that local election officials "in nearly every state" are receiving timely postmarked ballots after Election Day and outside the standard three to five business days claimed by the Postal Service for first-class mail.
The issues raised in the letter have serious implications for voter participation and the integrity of the electoral process. One particularly concerning problem is the return of properly addressed election mail as undeliverable. This can trigger a process that moves voters to "inactive" status, potentially creating obstacles for them when they attempt to cast their ballots.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab highlighted the severity of the situation in his own recent letter to DeJoy. Schwab reported that nearly 1,000 ballots from Kansas' August 6 primary election couldn't be counted because they arrived too late or without postmarks. In a pointed criticism of the Postal Service's performance, Schwab said, "The Pony Express is more efficient at this point."
The letter to DeJoy was signed by representatives of national election official organizations and leaders of groups representing local election officials in 25 states. This broad coalition underscores the widespread nature of the concerns about mail system performance.
In their letter, the officials emphasized the critical role of the Postal Service in ensuring a fair and accessible election:
There is no amount of proactive communication election officials can do to account for USPS's inability to meet their own service delivery timelines. State and local election officials need a committed partner in USPS.
Election officials across the country are calling for immediate action from the U.S. Postal Service to address widespread mail delivery problems that could potentially disrupt the upcoming presidential election. These issues include late delivery of ballots and the return of properly addressed election mail as undeliverable. Officials warn that failure to resolve these problems could limit voter participation and erode trust in the electoral process. With the 2024 election approaching, the pressure is mounting on the Postal Service to ensure reliable delivery of election-related mail.
