ATLANTA — Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock and 18 other U.S. Senators have called for the Postmaster General to provide critical information on the Postal Service's plans for mail-in ballots and the 2024 election cycle.
The request, detailed in a June 24 letter, stems from a desire to "ensure our constituents receive the highest possible level of mail-in ballot service this election season." The Senators cite USPS's nationwide delivery issues following the implementation of its Delivering for America plan.
The deadline for the Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to answer senators' inquiry is Wednesday, July 24.
The letter reads, "USPS serves an essential function in American elections. On a nonpartisan basis, it securely processes, transports and delivers election mail, including ballots."
The letter highlights USPS's high delivery rate during the previous two elections, 97.9% and 98.96%, and how these stemmed from months of outreach to and support of election officials. The senators cite efforts to expand ground operations and automatically process ballots as Priority Mail Express.
"We applaud these achievements, but much has changed since 2022," they say.
The letter focuses on USPS's Mail Process Facility Reviews (MPFR), an effort that began last summer to consolidate the postal network around Regional Processing and Distribution Centers. The rollout is part of the 10-year 'Delivering for America' plan, which aims to save money and improve service nationwide.
In February, Georgia's RP&DC opened in Palmetto, one of the first facilities like it in the country. The subsequent decline in mail service following the launch sparked the attention of senators during an April hearing in the nation's capital, where lawmakers, including Sen. Jon Ossoff, grilled Postmaster General DeJoy about the severe drop in performance following the rollout.
During that hearing, Postmaster General DeJoy promised mail service in Georgia would improve within 60-90 days. Yet in May, USPS responded to lawmakers again, announcing a pause in the MPFR consolidation process until after the general election. That pause is expected to expire in January 2025.
Speaking with 11Alive's Liza Lucas on Tuesday, Sen. Ossoff said his office is continuing to hear about postal problems across Georgia despite improvements in on-time delivery of First Class mail.
"I'm still receiving complaints from businesses and families about postal delays," Sen. Ossoff said. "We have seen some improvement in the data. I sat down personally with the Postmaster General a couple of weeks ago and made it clear to him that we needed sustained improvement and that my constituents were still not satisfied with the service provided by USPS."
Worries over performance also came up during a conference Tuesday for the National Association of State Election Directors. State election directors from across the country expressed serious concerns to postal leaders that USPS won't be able to handle the high volume of mail-in ballots in the November election.
"We’ve been acutely aware of the issues with the postal service, and our elections division has been working directly with the USPS to resolve these issues," a spokesperson for Georgia Secretary of State's office told 11Alive in response to concerns raised at the conference. "Since the delays began, Secretary Raffensperger has been encouraging voters to contact their Representatives and Senators to demand a fix, and practically speaking, encouraging all absentee mail voters to 1. Get their ballot requests in early and 2. Sign up for Ballot Tracking through ballottrax, so that they know exactly where their ballot is throughout the entire process."
Steven Carter, manager of election and government programs for the postal service, attempted to reassure the directors at the Minneapolis meeting that the system's Office of Inspector General will publish an election mail report next week containing “encouraging" performance numbers for this year so far.
“The data that that we’re seeing showing improvements in the right direction," Carter told a conference of the National Association of State Election Directors. "And I think the OIG report is especially complimentary of how we’re handling the election now.”
The senators' June letter, meanwhile, indicates the need for specifics from the postal service, asking for the following questions to be answered by Wednesday:
The letter includes six questions, which the senators have requested the answers to by Wednesday, July 24:
- Has USPS conducted any studies evaluating the DFA plan’s short- and long-term impact on election mail operations? If so, please provide us with a copy of such studies. If not, why not?
- During the MPFR pause, will the Postal Service commit to providing evidence that the consolidation will not result in further degradation of service for customers?
- Please describe any efforts the Postal Service has taken or plans to take to engage in direct outreach and offer support to election officials for the 2024 election, as it did during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.
- Since 2022, has USPS developed new election mail strategies to account for the continued implementation of the DFA plan?
- In the upcoming election, how does the Postal Service intend to improve service for the communities where it has already proceeded with postal consolidations?
- What support from Congress, if any, does USPS need to ensure on-time delivery of election mail?
On Wednesday afternoon, the USPS sent 11Alive the following statement regarding its response to the members' letter:
The Postal Service has received the members’ letter and is responding to those who sent it. We also are working closely with election officials to promptly resolve any concerns that may arise in the Atlanta region.
Regarding service performance in the Atlanta region, the Postal Service has intensified resources in the region to oversee our mail flow and stabilize service performance.
Service performance in the Atlanta area (Date: 6/29/24 thru 7/5/24) for volume destinating in the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center service area:
1. First Class Mail Composite score is 82.71% on-time and 93.17% within 1 day of on-time.”.
2. Marketing Mail score is 92.81% on-time and 96.51% within 1 day of on-time.”.
3. Ground Advantage score is 89.03% on-time and 96.43% within 1 day of on-time.”.
As information, for voters who are eligible to vote by mail and choose to do so, you should plan ahead to give yourself enough time to complete and return your ballot by your state’s deadlines.
For domestic, nonmilitary voters who choose to use the mail to return a completed ballot, the Postal Service’s general recommendation is that, as a common-sense measure, you should mail your completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week before the deadline by which your completed ballot must be received by your local election official. Some states may recommend allowing even more time for mailing completed ballots. You should always check to make sure you understand your state’s requirements and recommendations on mailing your completed ballot. You can look for information about your state’s requirements and recommendations here: Find your state election website.
The Postal Service takes our role in the electoral process very seriously, and you can rest assured that we make extraordinary efforts to ensure that all election mail is handled properly and reliably. Our organization and its 640,000 employees are fully committed to the timely and secure delivery of the nation’s Election Mail.
11Alive has reached out to the postal service for comment on election concerns as well as ongoing efforts to restore service in Georgia.
Those experiencing delays or who have not received mail can contact the newsroom with your concerns as we continue to cover this story. Fill out our online form below, and someone from our news team will follow up with you.
