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Local election officials from across the United States warned Wednesday that problems with the nation's mail delivery system are jeopardizing voting in the upcoming presidential election. Officials pointed out to the management of the United States Postal Service that it has not fixed the deficiencies of the system.
In an alarming letter, officials said that over the past year, including the just-concluded primary election season, mail-in ballots that were time-stamped were received by local elections offices days past the deadline by which they were supposed to be counted. . They also noted that ballot envelopes with the correct addresses were being returned as incorrect, a problem that could automatically change voters' status to 'inactive'. This can create chaotic situations even if they show up at the polling stations to cast their vote.
Officials also said that repeated contacts with the Postal Service to resolve the issues had failed and that the widespread nature of the problems made it clear that these were not "errors that occur sporadically, or a problem at certain branches "Rather, it shows a widespread lack of understanding and implementation of Postal Service policies among its employees."
The letter to Postal Service Administrator Louis DeJoy was written by two organizations representing chief election administrators in all 50 states. They state in the letter to Mr. DeJoy: "We have seen no improvements or concerted efforts to correct our concerns."
"We request that you take immediate and tangible corrective measures to address the ongoing post office operational issues for the election process," they added. "Failure in this regard will risk limiting voter participation and confidence in the electoral process."
A message sent seeking comment from the United States Postal Service was not immediately responded to.
The two organizations, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors, said local election officials "in almost every state" are receiving the ballots, postmarked in due time, after Election Day and beyond the 3-5 business day deadline that the Postal Service says is standard for first-class mail.
In their letter Wednesday, election officials say their colleagues across the United States have reported that Postal Service personnel, from mail handlers to mail carriers, are not informed about policies for handling of mail related to elections, that they are given instructions that change constantly and that they distribute ballots in the wrong way./ VOA
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