Given the justified concerns about election fraud, doubt about the role of the U.S. Postal Service voiced by a number of public officials is worth noting.
A letter from the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors warned that problems with the government’s postal service might disenfranchise some voters in the Nov. 5 general election.
It is a special concern in Florida after a computer glitch caused difficulties in reporting results of the primary election.
What is even more concerning is this week’s news that the postal workers union has endorsed Kamala Harris for president in the most critical presidential election in years.
These are the people charged with delivering the ballots by mail – and they have said who they prefer to see in the White House.
With the growing number of mail-in ballots being used, it is imperative to get the ballots to voters and then get them back to the election offices to be counted.
State officials wrote to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, alleging that he has not fixed persistent deficiencies in the system, saying, “State and local election officials need a committed partner in USPS. We implore you to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues with USPS election mail service.”
“Over the course of the last year, election officials across the country have raised serious questions about processing facility operations, lost or delayed election mail, and front-line training deficiencies impacting USPS’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner.”
They cited recent cases where postmarked ballots sent in a timely manner to election officials arrived well after Election Day. Officials also said that in some cases properly addressed election mail ends up being returned to election officials, potentially causing voters to become disenfranchised.
The postal service’s standard is that mail should be received in three to five business days.
The USPS released a statement in response to the letter saying, “We are ready to deliver. We were successful in 2020 delivering a historic volume of mail-in ballots; also in 2022 and will do so again in November 2024.”
However, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said almost 1,000 ballots from last month’s primary election could not be counted by officials as they arrived too late or without postmarks.
“The Pony Express is more efficient at this point,” Schwab posted online.
In Jacksonville, Elections Supervisor Jerry Holland says his office has a good relationship with the USPS and has had good service in the past.
Despite email, the USPS retains a large share of mail business, by law. Yet, long-time critic James Bovard says, “…the Postal Service continues to provide some of the starkest and most comical reminders of the folly of relying on the government.”
