Election Officials Raise ‘Serious Questions’ About US Postal Service Ballot Delivery Plans

Concerns Raised Over USPS Ballot Delivery Ahead of 2024 Election

By David Shepardson

A collective of approximately thirty state and local election officials has expressed significant concerns regarding the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) capacity to deliver millions of ballots for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

In a letter addressed to USPS, the National Association of State Election Directors alongside other officials highlighted issues regarding processing operations, delays and losses of election mail, and inadequate training for staff, all of which could hinder timely and accurate ballot delivery.

Despite numerous discussions with USPS election staff, the officials noted little progress in addressing their concerns, stating, "we have not seen improvement or concerted efforts to remediate our concerns." Furthermore, they reported that, over the past two years, officials in almost every state have been receiving postmarked ballots "well outside the three to five business days USPS claims as the First-Class delivery standard."

In response, USPS stated its commitment to the timely and secure delivery of election mail, emphasizing that it promptly addresses any issues raised by local and state officials. The postal service currently averages a delivery time of 2.7 days for mail but advises voters to mail their completed ballots before Election Day, ideally one week before their state’s deadline.

The USPS inspector general’s office has noted that in the November 2020 presidential election, 46% of votes were cast by mail, a significant increase from 21% in the previous election in 2016. To ensure timely delivery, USPS plans to implement "extraordinary measures" in the two weeks leading up to the general election, which will include additional pickups and special sorting processes.

According to USPS, during the 2020 election, 99.89% of ballots were delivered to election officials within seven days. Mail-in voting is expected to commence in mid-September.

A report from the inspector general’s office in July identified operational changes at USPS that could jeopardize the counting of individual ballots and included recommendations to enhance the processing and delivery of ballots. Additionally, a settlement reached in December 2021 between USPS and the NAACP aimed to ensure prioritization of ballot delivery in future elections following a lawsuit from 2020.