(TOPEKA, Kan.) — Election officials across the United States have issued a warning about potential problems with the U.S. mail delivery system, expressing concern that delays could disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election. In a letter addressed to the head of the U.S. Postal Service, these officials stated that despite persistent issues, the USPS has not adequately addressed the deficiencies.
The letter highlights numerous instances where mailed ballots, postmarked on time, arrived at local election offices days after the counting deadline. Additionally, properly addressed election mail was returned as undeliverable, potentially causing voters to be mistakenly marked as inactive, leading to complications when they attempt to cast their ballot.
The officials emphasize that their repeated efforts to resolve these issues with the Postal Service have been unsuccessful, attributing the widespread nature of the problems to a “pervasive lack of understanding and enforcement of USPS policies among its employees.”
The letter, signed by representatives of the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors, conveys their disappointment, stating, “We have not seen improvement or concerted efforts to remediate our concerns.”
The officials urge immediate action to address these performance issues, stating, “We implore you to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues with USPS election mail service,” they added. “Failure to do so will risk limiting voter participation and trust in the election process.”
A request for a response from the U.S. Postal Service went unanswered.
The two organizations representing election administrators report that election officials in almost every state are receiving timely postmarked ballots after Election Day, exceeding the three to five business days USPS claims as the standard for first-class mail.
The letter emerges just two weeks after the Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, declared in an interview that the Postal Service was prepared to handle a large volume of mail ballots expected in November’s presidential election. This statement comes amidst continued false claims by former President Donald Trump regarding the integrity of the 2020 election.
In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, election officials reported sending over 69 million ballots via mail, a significant increase from the previous election.
Although the number of mailed ballots is likely to be lower this year, many voters have embraced mail-in voting and have come to rely on it. Both Democrats and Republicans have launched campaigns to encourage supporters to vote early, either in person or by mail, to secure their votes before Election Day on November 5th.
The letter was sent on the same day that the first mailed ballots for the general election were being sent to absentee voters in Alabama.
Postal Service officials reported in a statement last month that nearly 98% of ballots were returned to election officials within three days in 2020, rising to nearly 99% in 2022. DeJoy expressed his intention to approach 100% accuracy this election cycle, asserting that the Postal Service is better equipped to handle ballots compared to four years ago.
However, officials in rural states have voiced criticism of the Postal Service for years, citing the consolidation of mail-processing centers as a cost-cutting measure that has negatively impacted service.
In addition to the signatures of current and incoming presidents of both election official groups, the letter also includes the names of leaders from organizations representing local election officials in 25 states.
The election officials highlight the potential ramifications of election mail being returned as undeliverable, noting that it could trigger a process outlined in federal law to ensure accurate voter registration lists. This process might involve moving a voter to “inactive” status, requiring them to take additional steps to verify their address before being able to vote.
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, the former president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, recently sent a separate letter to DeJoy, expressing concern that nearly 1,000 ballots from his state’s August 6 primary election could not be counted due to late arrival or lack of postmarks. He added that more ballots continue to arrive late.
“The Pony Express is more efficient at this point,” Schwab stated on social media in late August.
Schwab and other Kansas election officials have also reported instances where ballots arrive on time but lack postmarks, rendering them ineligible for counting under Kansas law. Schwab further pointed out that postal clerks have informed election officials that they cannot retroactively add postmarks, even if it’s clear that the Postal Service processed the ballot before the mail-in deadline.
Kansas allows ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if they arrive within three days. This grace period was implemented by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2017, addressing concerns about slowed mail delivery following the Postal Service’s closure of seven mail-processing centers in the state. This closure resulted in a significant portion of the state’s mail being handled through larger centers in Denver, Amarillo, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Schwab has advocated for the use of local ballot drop boxes for advance voting, contrasting his stance with other Republicans who have suggested, without evidence, that these boxes are susceptible to fraud. Schwab maintains that ballot drop boxes are more secure than the U.S. mail system.
“Keep your ballot out of the hands of the federal government!” he advised voters after the August primary.
In their letter, election officials state that their colleagues across the country have reported inconsistencies in the Postal Service’s handling of election-related mail, citing instances where staff, including managers and mail carriers, are uninformed about USPS policies, provide inconsistent guidance, and misdeliver ballots.
“There is no amount of proactive communication election officials can do to account for USPS’s inability to meet their own service delivery timelines,” the officials wrote. “State and local election officials need a committed partner in USPS.”
____ Cassidy reported from Detroit.