Vote-by-mail ballots for the August 4 Washington state primary are pictured at King County Elections in Renton, Washington on August 3, 2020. (Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)
'A Fiasco Is Clearly Foreseeable': USPS Watchdog Probe Found 1 Million Primary Ballots Likely Delivered Too Late to Count
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called the findings "more powerful proof that resources and reform are vital right away to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
The U.S. Postal Service's internal watchdog issued in a report this week detailing a number of concerns about how prepared the service is for the upcoming November elections in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail, with one Democratic lawmaker seizing the findings as further evidence of the need for reforms "to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
The audit from the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was released Monday and probed the service's "readiness for timely processing of election and political mail." Among the findings were that 1.6 million pieces of election mail weren't delivered on time from April through June, and over 1 million primary ballots were at "high risk" of not getting back to election boards on time to be counted because they were sent out within seven days of an election.
"The Postal Service plays a vital role in the American democratic process and this role continues to grow as the volume of election and political mail increases," the OIG said.
Reviewed by the watchdog were seven processing and distribution centers (P&DCs)--Santa Clarita, California; Portland; Indianapolis; Baltimore; Charleston, South Carolina; Brooklyn, and Oklahoma City--that were handling materials for primary elections held in May and June 2020.
The audit was conducted before Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump campaign megadonor, took charge of the service in June and began a rollout of sweeping changes that prompted congressional hearings, demands for DeJoy's ouster, and nationwide rallies to #SaveThePostOffice.
A number of concerns were outlined in the watchdog's report: ballots mailed without barcode mail tracking technology; ballot mail piece designs that result in improper processing; election and political mail likely to be mailed too close to the election, resulting in insufficient time for the Postal Service to process and deliver the mailpieces; postmark requirements for ballots; and voter addresses that are out of date.
"An analysis of data determined the total number of identifiable election and political mail mailpieces not delivered on time from April 2020 through June 2020 for the seven P&DCs was about 1.6 million (8 percent) of 20.2 million mailpieces," the report said.
Actions by election officials were also blamed for problems with processing election materials.
"According to Postal Service management," the report said, "during the primary election season, election boards mailed over 1 million ballots to voters within seven days of an election. This put these ballots at high risk by not allowing sufficient time for delivery to voters and their subsequent delivery back to the election boards."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), sharing Wednesday the Washington Post's reporting on IG report, called the findings "more powerful proof that resources and reform are vital right away to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
"Plain fact and our pleas for action align with findings of this report," tweeted Blumenthal, warning that "a fiasco is clearly foreseeable."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
The U.S. Postal Service's internal watchdog issued in a report this week detailing a number of concerns about how prepared the service is for the upcoming November elections in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail, with one Democratic lawmaker seizing the findings as further evidence of the need for reforms "to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
The audit from the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was released Monday and probed the service's "readiness for timely processing of election and political mail." Among the findings were that 1.6 million pieces of election mail weren't delivered on time from April through June, and over 1 million primary ballots were at "high risk" of not getting back to election boards on time to be counted because they were sent out within seven days of an election.
"The Postal Service plays a vital role in the American democratic process and this role continues to grow as the volume of election and political mail increases," the OIG said.
Reviewed by the watchdog were seven processing and distribution centers (P&DCs)--Santa Clarita, California; Portland; Indianapolis; Baltimore; Charleston, South Carolina; Brooklyn, and Oklahoma City--that were handling materials for primary elections held in May and June 2020.
The audit was conducted before Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump campaign megadonor, took charge of the service in June and began a rollout of sweeping changes that prompted congressional hearings, demands for DeJoy's ouster, and nationwide rallies to #SaveThePostOffice.
A number of concerns were outlined in the watchdog's report: ballots mailed without barcode mail tracking technology; ballot mail piece designs that result in improper processing; election and political mail likely to be mailed too close to the election, resulting in insufficient time for the Postal Service to process and deliver the mailpieces; postmark requirements for ballots; and voter addresses that are out of date.
"An analysis of data determined the total number of identifiable election and political mail mailpieces not delivered on time from April 2020 through June 2020 for the seven P&DCs was about 1.6 million (8 percent) of 20.2 million mailpieces," the report said.
Actions by election officials were also blamed for problems with processing election materials.
"According to Postal Service management," the report said, "during the primary election season, election boards mailed over 1 million ballots to voters within seven days of an election. This put these ballots at high risk by not allowing sufficient time for delivery to voters and their subsequent delivery back to the election boards."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), sharing Wednesday the Washington Post's reporting on IG report, called the findings "more powerful proof that resources and reform are vital right away to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
"Plain fact and our pleas for action align with findings of this report," tweeted Blumenthal, warning that "a fiasco is clearly foreseeable."
The U.S. Postal Service's internal watchdog issued in a report this week detailing a number of concerns about how prepared the service is for the upcoming November elections in which a record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail, with one Democratic lawmaker seizing the findings as further evidence of the need for reforms "to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
The audit from the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was released Monday and probed the service's "readiness for timely processing of election and political mail." Among the findings were that 1.6 million pieces of election mail weren't delivered on time from April through June, and over 1 million primary ballots were at "high risk" of not getting back to election boards on time to be counted because they were sent out within seven days of an election.
"The Postal Service plays a vital role in the American democratic process and this role continues to grow as the volume of election and political mail increases," the OIG said.
Reviewed by the watchdog were seven processing and distribution centers (P&DCs)--Santa Clarita, California; Portland; Indianapolis; Baltimore; Charleston, South Carolina; Brooklyn, and Oklahoma City--that were handling materials for primary elections held in May and June 2020.
The audit was conducted before Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump campaign megadonor, took charge of the service in June and began a rollout of sweeping changes that prompted congressional hearings, demands for DeJoy's ouster, and nationwide rallies to #SaveThePostOffice.
A number of concerns were outlined in the watchdog's report: ballots mailed without barcode mail tracking technology; ballot mail piece designs that result in improper processing; election and political mail likely to be mailed too close to the election, resulting in insufficient time for the Postal Service to process and deliver the mailpieces; postmark requirements for ballots; and voter addresses that are out of date.
"An analysis of data determined the total number of identifiable election and political mail mailpieces not delivered on time from April 2020 through June 2020 for the seven P&DCs was about 1.6 million (8 percent) of 20.2 million mailpieces," the report said.
Actions by election officials were also blamed for problems with processing election materials.
"According to Postal Service management," the report said, "during the primary election season, election boards mailed over 1 million ballots to voters within seven days of an election. This put these ballots at high risk by not allowing sufficient time for delivery to voters and their subsequent delivery back to the election boards."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), sharing Wednesday the Washington Post's reporting on IG report, called the findings "more powerful proof that resources and reform are vital right away to prevent serious election mail delays and voting suppression."
"Plain fact and our pleas for action align with findings of this report," tweeted Blumenthal, warning that "a fiasco is clearly foreseeable."