Postmaster General Luis DeJoy says the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is ready to handle the impending deluge of election mail, including mail-in ballots, ahead of Nov. 5.
“We’re going to be in great shape for the election. I’m pretty confident about everything that we’re doing. The American people should be confident,” DeJoy told The Associated Press on Aug. 29, ahead of a media briefing on the service’s election preparations.
That marks an improvement from 2020, when DeJoy spent his first months on the job navigating an entirely new election landscape marked by unprecedented levels of absentee voting thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, DeJoy faced criticism over his political donations to then-President Donald Trump and for pushing cost-cutting measures amid backlogs and warnings that USPS was barreling toward insolvency.
Still, a post-analysis found that USPS delivered 97.9 percent of mail-in ballots from voters to election officials within three days in 2020. That figure improved to 98.9 percent during the 2022 midterms.
DeJoy is hoping to continue that upward trend this year. But as officials work toward that goal, he said they must also improve their messaging.
“We have to be louder than the noise in communicating how well we’re going to do and that things are going to be OK,” DeJoy said. “Things are going to be good. We’re in a better operating position than we ever have been.”
For this year’s election, USPS has mapped out several measures it may take to ensure the timely delivery of ballots, including extra pickups and deliveries and using special sort plans on processing machines.
USPS officials have also been in communication with election administrators across the country, as well as Congress and other federal agencies and stakeholders, to inform them of the ongoing preparations.
Meanwhile, the service’s law enforcement and security arm, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), plans to implement “rigorous security protocols” and constant monitoring to ensure the security of ballots and election officials.
“We understand the critical role we play in the democratic process, and we are resolute in our efforts to secure the delivery of ballots and all Election Mail,” Brendan Donahue, USPIS assistant inspector in charge, said in a statement.
“We are committed to ensuring the safe and secure delivery of Election Mail to and from voters, the integrity of our nation’s elections, and the protection of election officials from threatening and dangerous mail.”
To ensure timely delivery, USPS recommends that nonmilitary voters mail their absentee ballots at least one week prior to their states’ deadlines. However, as different states have different mailing requirements, the agency encourages voters to check their states’ election websites for more information.
