US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has announced that he will cut operational costs until after the November election, after days of widespread rumors and claims that Donald Trump deliberately slammed the post to help his re-election.
In a statement, DeJoy announced that he was postponing the changes to “prevent even the appearance of any influence on election post”.
There have been reports of widespread postal delays across the US in recent weeks. Workers and Democrats of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have blamed the latest changes implemented by DeJoy, including cutting back time and telling workers to leave the post behind if it were delayed on routes.
DeJoy said the changes were necessary to stabilize the U.S. agency, but many observers wondered why they were implemented amid a global pandemic and months ahead of an unusual election in which the USPS is likely to play a major role. play in the transport of moods.
Trump said last week that he was opposed to additional funding for USPS because it would make it easier to vote by mail.
In a statement on Tuesday, DeJoy, a major Republican donor with no prior USPS experience, said hours of post office would not change, mail processing facilities would not close and equipment, including mailboxes, would not be removed. He also said that USPS will continue to approve surpluses.
The announcement came after days of heavy scrutiny and on the day, more than 20 states were set up to file a lawsuit challenging the changes. Chamber member Nancy Pelosi has also recalled the House of Representatives to Washington, to deal with USPS funding.
There were protests outside DeJoy’s house last weekend and the postmaster general is set to appear before the House Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs on Friday and the House Oversight Committee. The USPS Inspector General is also investigating the changes.
USPS has always maintained that it has the capacity to deliver election post in the fall, but many experts express deep concern about whether the reported delays will affect the November election.
Ron Stroman, who stepped down as the official number two at USPS in June, told the Guardian last week that making operational changes just months before the election was “a high-risk statement”.
A record number of Americans are expected to vote by mail this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many states require that on the day of the election, ballots arrive at the office of election officials, regardless of when a voter puts them in the mail, to count. That means even a day-long delay in delivery could leave thousands disenfranchised.
USPS has long said that voters should send their ballot papers at least a week before election day to ensure they are counted. USPS recently sent letters to many states with instructions from state laws allowing voters to request a vote within a week of the election, increasing the risk of exemption.
State election officials have urged voters to submit ballot applications now to ensure as much time as possible to return them this fall. Many officials are also looking at expanding official dropboxes, where voters can cast their ballots without having to put them in the mail.
DeJoy also announced on Tuesday that he was expanding a task force of election officials with officials across the country.
“The Postal Service is ready today to handle all the volume of election mail it receives this fall,” he said.
“Even with the challenges of keeping our employees and customers safe and healthy when operating in the midst of a pandemic, we will deliver the nation’s election post on time and within our well-established service standards.”
The delivery of election mail, DeJoy said, was the agency’s ‘number one priority’.
.
