Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said his team is “fully focused on the critical mission of delivering the nation’s election mail” as the U.S. Postal Service laid out its plans to ensure a “secure and timely” delivery of ballots this November.
As part of its plans, USPS said it is prepared to carry out “proven extraordinary measures,” including additional pickups, extra deliveries and special plans on processing equipment to sort mail, from Oct. 21 to Nov. 15 in an effort to deliver mail-in ballots sent close to election day by state deadlines.
Adrienne Marshall, election and government mail services director for the USPS, noted that her team has prioritized communication with local election officials across the country for months, pledging to stay in close contact through the election to coordinate on any issues that may arise.
“Since late last year, The Postal Service has met regularly with stakeholders across the election mail landscape, including State and Local election administrators, Postal Unions and Management Associations, Federal Agencies & Congress, the Mailing Industry and non-governmental organizations,” Marshall said. “We have good working relationships with these organizations, and we greatly appreciate their partnership.”
The law enforcement arm of USPS, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, is also prepared to deploy any security protocols and continuous monitoring as well as respond promptly to any incidents.
USPS said this year's plans are all intended to “draw from its successes” in 2020 and 2022, when the percent of ballots sent from voters that made it to election officials within seven days was 99.89% and 99.93% respectively.
The practice of voting by mail has faced close scrutiny in recent years as it has become a focus among those claiming widespread fraud -- without evidence --in our elections. Former President Donald Trump has railed against the practice, including as recently as earlier this week in an interview with “Dr. Phil,” despite some Republicans seeking to encourage people to utilize mail-in voting methods this November to ensure they are not losing votes due to people not being able to make it to polling sites in-person.
DeJoy, who faced criticism himself over policies he enacted at the agency ahead of the 2020 election, told the Associated Press this week that the USPS is in “great shape” for November, adding that he is “confident” in everything it is doing.
In outlining its 2024 preparations, USPS made clear it is being careful not to do anything that could even give the impression that the Postal Service is negatively impacting election mail delivery. For example, USPS said changes to collection times and eLocks and the removal or replacement of collection boxes will be suspended to avoid “unnecessary optics or perception concerns” even if they have no impact on delivery performance.
Earlier this week, USPS said it is not moving forward with a plan to send mail from Reno, Nev. to be processed in Sacramento, Calif. amid concerns over its impact on election mail.
USPS added that Postal Service representatives also briefed House and Senate committee staff on its plans and readiness to carry out the delivery of ballots in the weeks around November’s election.
