Postal Service affirms readiness to handle surge in mail-in ballots

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has responded to concerns raised by state election officials regarding issues with election mail delivery during the primary season. In a letter released on Monday, DeJoy reassured officials that the Postal Service is addressing the problems and will be prepared for the influx of mail-in ballots leading up to the November election.

DeJoy stated that many of the concerns raised by election officials have already been dealt with, including issues such as properly addressed election mail being returned and mail-in ballots arriving after election deadlines. The Postmaster General mentioned that postal employees are undergoing enhanced training, and the Postal Service is in frequent communication with election officials to ensure quality and address any delivery errors.

DeJoy also committed to working with officials to prevent issues like flawed ballot envelope designs, although many envelopes have already been designed and printed. Teams have been put in place to handle mail that is flagged as undeliverable or any other potential problems with election mail.

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors had expressed concerns about the Postal Service’s handling of election mail, especially as former President Donald Trump continues to cast doubts on the upcoming election due to mail delivery problems.

DeJoy acknowledged that a massive network reorganization caused temporary problems but assured officials that changes are being paused to prevent any slow-downs in election mail delivery. Despite some concerns, DeJoy pointed out that in past elections, the Postal Service has had a strong performance record with timely delivery of ballots.

While first-class mail is currently averaging 2.7 days for delivery, DeJoy emphasized the importance of voters not delaying in sending their mail-in ballots this election season. Both the Postal Service and state election officials are encouraging voters to return their ballots well before Election Day or to utilize drop boxes where possible to ensure timely delivery.