TOPEKA, Kan. – The U.S. Postal Service has announced the reopening of all mail processing facilities in Florida and North Carolina that were affected by the recent hurricanes. This update was shared by a high-ranking official during a briefing aimed at assuring both voters and election officials that the organization is well-prepared to manage mail ballots ahead of the upcoming election on November 5.
The Postal Service conducted this virtual meeting just weeks before the election and shortly after state and local officials raised concerns about potential mail service issues that could disenfranchise voters. In response, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy mentioned that the Postal Service puts in “heroic efforts” to ensure that even ballots mailed late reach election offices on time.
Recent data revealed by the Postal Service indicates that despite the disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene in late September and Hurricane Milton earlier this month, an impressive 99.9% of election-related mail nationwide was delivered within seven days. Additionally, statistics from the 2020 presidential election showed that 99.7% of similar mail was delivered within three days.
Steven Monteith, an executive vice president and chief marketing officer at the Postal Service, expressed confidence in the agency’s capacity to handle a significant volume of election mail as the election date approaches. He noted that all processing centers in North Carolina resumed operations as of Tuesday, mirroring the situation in Florida. Currently, mail delivery is possible to all but 4,600 addresses in North Carolina and about 600 in Florida.
There remains uncertainty regarding how many voters in the most affected regions will choose to return their ballots by mail. However, early in-person voting in North Carolina has seen a robust turnout. Election officials in the state have implemented several strategies to enhance accessibility for voters impacted by the storms. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has extended early voting up to and including Election Day for specific counties and adjusted deadlines for sending mail ballots.
As of Tuesday, the Postal Service reported that it had relocated retail sites across eight communities and deployed mobile units in an additional 13 locations in western North Carolina, particularly around Asheville and Charlotte. The agency also moved 10 retail sites within the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and three more around Fort Myers.
Monteith acknowledged that a “full recovery” of mail services following the hurricanes may take time, but added that residents can still retrieve mail from post offices or mobile units. He assured that undelivered mail due to the hurricanes is actively being redirected to these locations. Monteith stated, “The nation’s postal network is operating effectively without any major reported disruptions.”
In a separate briefing, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon expressed confidence, assuring voters that election officials are not asking the Postal Service to remain in a constant state of heightened alertness. “We’re asking them for the next 15 days to be on the top of their game,” Simon noted, emphasizing the urgency as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.
In September, both NASS and the National Association of State Election Directors reached out to DeJoy, highlighting that issues related to mail delivery had not been sufficiently addressed. Nonetheless, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, recently stated that a communication with DeJoy alleviated his concerns regarding mail service challenges in his state.
Schwab’s office documented that 697 ballots from the state’s August primary arrived too late to be counted, with another 78 lacking the necessary postmark. Notably, 79% of these missed ballots came from Johnson and Wyandotte counties, part of the Kansas City area, along with Douglas County, where the main University of Kansas campus is situated.
In Utah, Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, a Republican responsible for overseeing elections there, reported that complications had emerged with some mail ballots being misrouted through Las Vegas and not receiving timely postmarks. However, she expressed confidence in the postal workers’ understanding of the importance of timely deliveries, stating, “Every little thing just feeds that conspiracy monster, right? And it’s so not helpful.”
Postal Service officials are advising voters to mail their ballots at least seven days before the election date. Henderson concluded that efforts are being made to assist voters in realizing their responsibility for ensuring their ballots are submitted correctly and on time.
