State election directors have expressed concerns to the U.S. Postal Service about its ability to handle the expected surge of mail-in ballots for the November election.
Steven Carter, USPS manager of election and government programs, assured the directors at a Minneapolis meeting that the USPS Office of Inspector General's upcoming report will show improved performance for the year. Despite these reassurances, election directors worry about timely delivery based on past issues and the halted postal facility consolidations initiated by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
Monica Evans from the D.C. Board of Elections highlighted a significant problem: over 80 timely-mailed ballots for the June primary arrived too late to be counted. This has raised concerns, especially with the heightened reliance on mail-in voting for the 2024 elections.
Kansas elections director Bryan Caskey emphasized that even a 95% on-time delivery rate could leave many voters dissatisfied. USPS’s Carter acknowledged the frustration. The National Association of State Election Directors' current president, Mandy Vigil, appreciates USPS’s engagement but remains worried about the timeframe before the general election.
Nineteen senators have questioned Postmaster General DeJoy about USPS’s preparedness for the 2024 election cycle. They cited delays caused by regional consolidations, like those in Virginia, which saw on-time delivery rates drop significantly. Lawmakers have also voiced concerns about consolidations in other states and their impact on mail service. DeJoy has paused these consolidations until January 2025, responding to bipartisan criticism, but there is demand for assurance that service will not degrade further when consolidations resume.
