“I want to emphasize that there have been no changes in any policy regarding election post for the 2020 elections,” DeJoy told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Facts first: Internal USPS documents obtained by CNN clearly show that USPS is planning some policy changes that could have resulted in longer delivery times for voting. That policy has since been reversed, what DeJoy mentioned in his testimony, but DeJoy ignored the fact that there were plans a few weeks ago to make a major change to election post.
Documents obtained by CNN, dated August, show that USPS planned to handle different election items this year. In recent years, USPS as an election post has often treated election posts as first class mail, despite the postage put on it. First-class mail is moving significantly faster than regular mail – if votes do not get this priority this year, it could result in late ballots and possible exemptions for many voters.
The USPS did not respond to a request for comment.
This year, the USPS had plans to treat election mail as first class on my own if the first class is marked, according to the documents provided to CNN by Don Cheney with the American Postal Workers Union Puget Sound Area Local 298. Election mail sent as “marketing mail” would not be delivered so soon as first-class mail, a policy that included the document was “new.”
After pressure from Democrat Senator Gary Peters on the issue, DeJoy indicated that the new policy was reversed. He later pleaded to deliver at least 95% of the election mail within 1-3 days, which is how first class mail is handled.
“We will put in place processes and procedures that in some cases advance each election post to first-class post,” DeJoy said, adding that USPS would no longer hold election officials accountable.
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