Election authorities issue a warning that voting may be hampered by pervasive issues with the US mail system
The letter, sent by two groups representing election administrators nationwide, noted that despite repeated attempts to address these problems, there has been no improvement.
On Wednesday, state and local election officials across the U.S. raised concerns about the mail delivery system’s reliability, highlighting issues that could disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election.
They informed U.S. Postal Service (USPS) head Louis DeJoy that longstanding deficiencies have not been addressed.
In a critical letter, officials reported that mailed ballots, postmarked on time, were arriving at local election offices days after deadlines.
Additionally, some properly addressed election mail was returned as undeliverable, potentially affecting voter registration statuses and causing issues at polling stations.
The letter, sent by two groups representing election administrators nationwide, noted that despite repeated attempts to address these problems, there has been no improvement.
The officials criticized the USPS for a “pervasive lack of understanding and enforcement of USPS policies among its employees,” rather than isolated incidents or facility-specific issues.
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors, the groups behind the letter, urged DeJoy to take immediate corrective measures, warning that continued performance issues could limit voter participation and undermine confidence in the election process.
USPS officials have yet to respond to requests for comment.
The letter highlights that ballots are arriving late after Election Day in many states and outside the USPS’s claimed delivery window of three to five business days.
This letter follows DeJoy’s recent assertion that the USPS is prepared for the expected increase in mail ballots for the November election, amid ongoing claims by former President Donald Trump about election integrity.
The 2020 election saw over 69 million mail-in ballots due to the pandemic, a significant increase from previous years.
Although this number might decrease, mail voting remains crucial for many voters.
Both parties are encouraging early voting, whether in person or by mail.
The letter was issued as the first mail ballots of this election cycle were sent out to absentee voters in Alabama.
Despite claims by USPS that nearly 98% of ballots were returned within three days in 2020 and almost 99% in 2022, there are concerns about current performance.
Critics, particularly in rural states, have long been frustrated with USPS’s mail-processing center consolidations.
The letter, signed by both current and incoming presidents of the election officials' groups, along with local election officials from 25 states, warns that undeliverable election mail could result in voters being moved to inactive status, requiring additional steps to verify their registration.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab recently wrote to DeJoy, highlighting problems with late or unpostmarked ballots from the state’s August primary. Schwab criticized the USPS’s performance and recommended using local drop boxes instead of relying on mail.
The letter concludes by stressing that state and local election officials need a reliable partner in the USPS to ensure the smooth handling of election mail and accurate voter registration.
