The United States Postal Service (USPS) may not be capable of handling the increased load for mail-in voting during the 2024 Presidential election. In a letter emailed Thursday to USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, state officials warned that the agency faces “serious questions about processing facility operations, lost or delayed election mail, and front-line training deficiencies.” The issues raised by these election officials have not shown any improvement despite repeated engagements with the USPS headquarters.
State election directors from 33 states signed the letter urging immediate corrective action to ensure the timely delivery of ballots during the election season. Several states, including Nevada, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington state, and the District of Columbia rely exclusively on mail-in voting. The group, led by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and New Mexico state elections director Mandy Vigil, highlighted that a “higher than usual” number of ballots marked as undeliverable could disqualify otherwise eligible voters, potentially causing mistrust in the election process.
During the 2020 presidential election, slowdowns and increased numbers of mail-in ballots brought attention to issues with the Postal Service’s handling of these ballots. Adrienne Marshall, USPS election mail chief, rejected the warnings about potential trouble for November and assured that the agency is ready to deliver mail-in ballots in a timely manner for the upcoming elections.
Despite concerns from state officials, DeJoy promised over the summer to delay certain changes until after the election to avoid slowing down election-related mail. The announcement of USPS’s readiness came on the same day that the 290,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. Union president Brian L. Renfroe vowed to give election officials detailed information about the agency’s plans to ensure the prompt delivery of mail-in ballots during the 2024 elections.
Renfroe also emphasized that letter carriers will perform their duties this election with the same integrity, responsibility, and devotion to mission as they do every day, reassuring all Americans that mail-in voting can be trusted for the upcoming elections.
