State and local officials warn delays in election-related mail could disenfranchise voters
Washington — State and local elections officials from nearly half of the states warned the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday that ongoing issues with election mail delivery could risk disenfranchising voters and urged the service to act quickly to address deficiencies ahead of the presidential election.
In the letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the leaders of various groups representing election administrators raised concerns with the Postal Service’s performance in the run-up to Election Day on Nov. 5. The letter said elections officials have raised questions over the past year about the service’s ability to deliver election mail on time and accurately.
The officials said while there has been “repeated engagement” with the Postal Service, they have not seen “improvement or concerted efforts” to remedy their concerns. Millions of voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail in the weeks before Election Day.
reported in April 2021 that 69% of voters cast their ballots either by mail or before Election Day, the highest rate of nontraditional voting since 1996.
While voting in 2020 took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Republicans and Democrats have continued to urge supporters to cast their ballots early.
Even former President Donald Trump, who has claimed mail-in ballots lead to election fraud, said last month that absentee and early voting are “good options.”
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Source: cbsnews.com