ATLANTA — U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is putting more pressure on the U.S. Postmaster General, as delays continue to stem from a new postal distribution center in Palmetto.
The clock is ticking for Louis DeJoy to provide updates on actions being taken to remedy issues at the distribution center. The Georgia senator sent a letter to DeJoy last week, giving him a May 16th deadline to provide a response.
"If he can't fix this problem -- 36% on-time delivery of mail in metro Atlanta as of just a few weeks ago -- then he's not fit for this job," Ossoff said.
As of late Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson with Ossoff's office said they have not received a response from DeJoy.
Earlier this week, DeJoy announced that he would be pausing the ongoing postal reorganization plan until next year. But Ossoff said that doesn't address what's already happened at the Palmetto facility
“That change is not going to help things here in Georgia," he told 11Alive. "We're already in the midst of this transition."
11Alive has been tracking on-time rates for first class mail for weeks now. Operations appeared to be improving, but the latest numbers show a dip again when it comes to first class mail and single-piece letters, which are now processing only 40% on-time compared to 44% the week before.
As Ossoff waits on answers, he shared that his concerns over absentee ballots are growing as the May primary, set for next Tuesday, gets closer.
"I'm hugely concerned about the impact on elections and voting by mail … particularly for seniors or folks with disabilities or illness who vote by mail," Ossoff said. "Remember, the state of Georgia just made it much harder to vote by mail."
The senator would not reveal his next move if the Postmaster General doesn't respond by midnight Thursday, only saying he would continue to ensure Georgians get this problem fixed.
Full coverage on mail delays in metro Atlanta: 11alive.com/PostalProblems