ATLANTA — With less than two weeks until Election Day, the U.S. Postal Service reiterates that it’s prepared for the uptick in absentee ballots as voting deadlines loom.
The Postal Service held a virtual meeting Wednesday to provide updates on such plans. The briefing followed previous concerns after state and local election officials from across the country warned that problems with mail service threatened to disenfranchise voters.
Such concerns were also expressed in a Sept. 18 letter by Republican members of the Georgia Congressional delegation. In that letter, the lawmakers called on the postmaster general and USPS for more specifics and assurances that absentee ballots would be processed on time.
“Over the last year, many of our constituents have lost faith in mail delivery by USPS in Georgia due to delays caused by the implementation of the United States Postal Service Delivering for America (DFA) Plan,” the lawmakers noted.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously responded that the Postal Service makes “heroic efforts” to get even ballots mailed late to election offices on time.
Even after Hurricane Helene in late September and Hurricane Milton this month, 99.9% of the nation’s election-related mail was delivered within seven days, the Postal Service reported during its update Wednesday. It said 99.7% of the election-related mail was delivered within three days for the last presidential election in 2020.
According to the postal service, ‘extraordinary measures’ began Monday, Oct. 21 and will continue nationwide through Election Day. Such measures, USPS indicates, are “designed to accelerate and enhance the delivery of Ballot Mail” and include:
- Extra deliveries and collections
- Special pick-ups
- Specialized sort plans at processing facilities to expedite delivery to boards of elections
- Local handling and transportation of ballots
Nevertheless, Postal Service officials are also continuing to advise voters to mail their ballots at least seven days in advance.
“As we anticipate an uptick of ballots in the mainstream over the coming days, we are working to ensure the ballots of every individual who chooses to vote by mail are delivered quickly and securely,” said Adrienne Marshall, director of Election and Government Mail Services at the Postal Service. “As in past elections, the United States Postal Service is ready to deliver your ballot on time. But don’t delay. If you choose to vote by mail, please mail early.”
In Georgia, election officials are also encouraging voters who vote absentee to utilize their local ballot drop box or hand deliver their ballot to their county elections office to avoid any potential problems with USPS.
“If I’m getting an absentee ballot, and I feel like I have to vote that way, either I will take it or have someone who can legally carry it for me to take it,” Gabriel Sterling with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office told 11Alive at a briefing earlier this month. “That’s what I’d recommend doing because why take the risk with your vote.”
In a post on ‘X’ on Wednesday, Sterling again asked Georgians to heed absentee ballot deadlines and make a plan: “Another important deadline is coming up. If you are choosing to vote absentee, you MUST request your ballot by Friday, Oct 25. As a reminder, there have been issues with USPS here in Georgia. Make a plan to get your ballot to your county. If you must mail it, do it ASAP.”
As of 8 a.m., Thursday, election officials had issued more than 313,000 absentee ballots in Georgia. More than 134,000 have been returned and accepted. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office advises voters to use the ‘My Voter Page’ and the Ballot Scout tracking tool to track their ballot through the postal process.
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