U.S. Postal Service Mobilizes to Handle Record Vote by Mail

(ema, updated Mar. 2021) After the firestorm over changes instituted at the U.S. Postal Service by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the USPS stepped up its game, added resources and made on time delivery of the nation’s Election Mail its number one priority.  The effort, outlined in a Sept. 25 directive, started on Oct. 1.  Even so, federal judges weighed in several timesIn late October, the USPS instituted further measures to ensure delivery of ballots.  A post-election report by the USPS inspector general found that the prioritization of election mail paid off, " significantly increasing timeliness over the 2018 mid-term election even with significantly increased volumes of Election Mail in the mailstream."

See also:
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.  "Service Performance of Election and Political Mail During the November 2020 General Election."  Mar. 5, 2021.

David Shepardson.  "U.S. judge orders USPS to reinforce 'extraordinary measures' ballot delivery policy."  Reuters, Nov. 1, 2020.

Andrew Selsky.  "Judge orders Postal Service to take extraordinary measures.  AP, Oct. 31, 2020.

Opinion by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  NAACP v US Postal Service.  Oct. 10, 2020.

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https://about.usps.com/newsroom/statements/
U.S. Postal Service
October 30, 2020 [PDF]

U.S. Postal Service Utilizes Extraordinary Measures to Deliver Nation’s Ballots In Final Days of November Election Fact Sheet

In the final weekend before the November election, the United States Postal Service will continue to implement extraordinary measures to advance and expedite the delivery of the nation’s ballots.

Between Oct. 26 and Nov. 24, local postal management is authorized and expected to use extraordinary measures, such as the following, to accelerate the delivery of ballots, when the Postal Service is able to identify the mailpiece as a ballot, consistent with past elections.  These extraordinary measures were previously announced on September 25, 2020.


The Postal Service’s extraordinary measures include but are not limited to:

  1. Retail Operations
    • Post offices may establish a “ballot postmark only” line at retail counters which should be staffed at all times through Election Day.
    • To better manage high volumes, if necessary, post offices may establish drive-through ballot postmark and/or drop options which will be staffed daily through Election Day.
  2. Extra Deliveries and Collections
    • USPS will utilize extra deliveries and collections to move completed ballots entered on Election Day to election officials by the state’s designated deadline.
      • This includes, but is not limited to, early collections through Election Day to ensure all collected ballots are processed in a timely manner, and ballots found in collections on Election Day are delivered to local election boards.
    • Early collections will be run on Monday, Nov. 2 and Tuesday, Nov. 3, with local postmark. reflecting the date of entry and turnaround for local ballots to the appropriate Board of Election.
    • On Election Day, USPS will operate special runs of collected ballots to Boards of Elections.
  3. Special Pickups (e.g., Priority Mail Express, special deliveries)
    • Postmasters will arrange for after-hours handoffs with Boards of Elections.
    • Beginning Friday, Oct. 30, employees are authorized to use the Express Mail network to connect completed ballots returned by voters entered close to or on Election Day to their intended destination.
    • Postmasters will intercept and deliver Election Mail with known mailer misprints in the barcode (wrong ZIP or address at wrong destination) and redirect ballots to the correct Board of Election.
  4. Sunday Collections on Nov. 1.
    • All dedicated collection routes will be completed on Sunday Nov. 1.
  5. Local Carriers Will Check Every Residential Mailbox For Outbound Mail Through Oct. 31.
    • Through Saturday, Oct. 31, local carriers will be checking for outgoing mail at every residential mailbox, including ballots, regardless if they have mail to deliver.
  6. Processing Plants Sunday Plan
    • Processing facilities will process collected ballots on Sunday, Nov. 1 for delivery back to election officials on Monday, Nov. 2.
    • Any ballot volume identified for destinations outside of the local service area will be expedited to its intended destination, utilizing Priority Mail Express if needed.
  7. Processing Plants Monday and Tuesday Plan
    • Processing facilities will start processing collected ballots early on Monday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 3
    • Ballot volumes will be held out from Delivery Point Sequencing (which would normally be delivered on Wednesday/Thursday) and provided to election officials on Tuesday, Nov. 3, throughout the day up to Tuesday’s specific state deadline
    • Any ballot volume identified for destinations outside of the local service area will be expedited to its intended destination, utilizing Priority Mail Express if needed.

These extraordinary measures are in addition to processes and procedures USPS has deployed since September to deliver the nation’s ballots for the November election in a secure and timely manner, including:

  1. Continuing Carefully Tracking and Advancing Ballots at Local Facilities
    • Ballot Monitors. Postal Service has designated employees serving as “ballot monitors” to make sure to monitor the postmarking process and ensure all processes are being adhered to properly with a goal to minimize any missed postmarks on ballots.
    • Returned Ballots are First-Class Mail. All return ballots mailed by voters are serviced as  First-Class Mail, unless a voter opts to pay for one of our premium services.
  2. Close Coordination with State and Local Election Officials. The Postal Service will continue to work closely with election officials to effectively and efficiently deliver the nation’s ballots ahead of state deadlines.

Keep State Deadlines and Mail Collection Times in Mind When Choosing to Vote By Mail In Remaining Days before Election Day

In the final days ahead of the November election, the Postal Service reiterated its general recommendation that, as a common-sense measure, that nonmilitary voters in the United States that choose to use the mail to return a completed ballot should mail the completed ballot before Election Day and at least one week prior to their state’s deadline. Some states may recommend allowing even more time for mailing completed ballots. With little time remaining, voters should keep these recommendations in mind when deciding how to return their ballots.

Voters are also reminded to check collection times posted on collection boxes and at Post Office retail facilities, and be mindful of when mail is delivered and picked up at your residential mailbox. Ballots deposited after the collection time won’t be picked up, or postmarked, until the following business day.


U.S. Postal Service
October 29, 2020

U.S. Postal Service Continues to Deliver a Record Number of Ballots

122 Million Ballots Processed and Delivered Amid Historic Political and Election Mail Volume; Extraordinary Measures Underway to Deliver Ballots Currently in Mail System

WASHINGTON, DC — With less than one week until the November election, new U.S. Postal Service data show an exceedingly high-volume of mail moving through the system and a focus on delivery of ballots.

“With increased volume in both mail and packages and external challenges, mail is moving,” said Kristin Seaver, Chief Retail and Delivery Officer of the Postal Service. “The Postal Service continues to implement extraordinary measures to advance and expedite the delivery of the nation’s ballots. These efforts include extra pick-ups, extra deliveries, and delivery units running regular collections on Sunday. From today through Sunday, local carriers will be stopping at and checking every residential mailbox for outbound mail, including ballots.”

Key Facts

  • 2.5 Days Average Delivery Time. Since October 1, the average time of delivery for First-Class Mail, including ballots, was 2.5 days with 97.5 percent of all measured First-Class Mail delivered within five days across the country.
  • 4.5 Billion Political and Election Mail Mailpieces. Total mail volume surpassed 4.5 billion mailpieces for both Political Mail and Election Mail tracked, representing an increase of 114 percent compared to the 2016 election cycle.
  • 122 Million Ballots Processed and Delivered. Since Sept. 4, the Postal Service has processed and delivered more than 122 million ballots, including both blank ballots delivered from election officials to voters and completed ballots from voters to election officials.1
Due to an increase in overall mail volume of all types, COVID-19 impacts, the Oct. 12 federal holiday and ongoing efforts to prioritize and advance the nation’s ballots, First-Class Mail service performance was 80.85 percent for the week of Oct. 17 through Oct. 23.

“While our ongoing commitment is to maintain the highest level of service performance for all mail, we acknowledge that our full focus and prioritization on election ballots is having a near-term impact on the overall on-time performance of other products throughout the network,” continued Seaver. “Additionally, we are actively engaging with our management teams and union leadership to ensure we have the right level of staffing and oversight given the increased impacts of COVID-19, and our unwavering commitment to keeping employees and customers safe.”

“In the final push through the election, our entire team remains laser focused on advancing ballots to local boards and election officials as quickly as possible,” said Seaver.

1 Election ballot counts are measured by use of Intelligent Mail Barcode with Ballot identifier. If a ballot was entered without these identifiers it is not measured in the count. This information is provided for illustrative purposes to provide sense of scale of Election Mail volume the Postal Service has and continues to process and deliver this election season. Outbound ballots are defined as blank ballots delivered from election officials to voters and inbound ballots are defined as completed ballots delivered from voters to election officials.

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U.S. Postal Service
October 21, 2020 [PDF]

2020 U.S. Postal Service Election Mail Fact Sheet

With a record number of people across the country voting early, the U.S. Postal Service is actively working to ensure the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. This is our number one priority and we are working closely with state and local election officials across the country to meet this goal.

USPS’s Role in the November Election.
Regarding Election Mail and the November election, the U.S. Postal Service is responsible for processing, transporting, and delivering the mail. The Postal Service is not responsible for determining the extent to which the mail is used for participating in elections, the design of ballots or return envelopes, counting ballots, or setting state election deadlines including dates to request (if required by the state) or return a ballot.

USPS’s Ability to Handle the Surge in Mail-in Ballot Deliveries.
The Postal Service is fully committed and actively working to handle the anticipated increase in Election Mail volume over the coming weeks. The Postal Service, our unions and the more than 630,000 postal employees are united in delivering on this sacred duty.
For context:
  • The Postal Service delivers 433 million pieces of mail a day. Even if all Americans were to vote by mail this year, 330 million ballots over the course of the election would be only three-quarters of what the Postal Service delivers in a single day.
  • Anticipated volume of Election Mail is predicted to amount to less than 2% of total mail volume from mid-September to Election Day.
  • Anticipated volume of Election Mail will still be less than our holiday season volume, which we successfully deliver every year.
USPS is deploying additional resources through Election Season.
  • Throughout October, the Postal Service has allocated additional resources including expanded processing procedures, extra transportation, extra delivery and collection trips and overtime to ensure Election Mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner.
  • Between October 26 and November 24, USPS local management is authorized and instructed to use extraordinary measures—expedited handling, extra deliveries and special pickups—consistent with practices used in past elections, to accelerate the delivery of ballots to its intended destination. 
  • A fact sheet outlining these and other operational readiness measures the Postal Service has implemented related to Election Mail can be found here.
Voters should be assured that from now through Election Season: 
  • Retail hours at Post Offices will not be reduced.  
  • Mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain where they are. 
  • No mail processing facilities will be closed or consolidated. 
  • Completed ballots mailed by voters are First-Class Mail, regardless of whether they are prepaid by election officials or mailed with a stamp affixed by the voter. The only situation where completed ballots are not First-Class Mail is where the voter opts instead to pay for a premium service like Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express.
  • We will continue to prioritize Election Mail that is entered as Marketing Mail regardless of the paid class. 
Commonly Asked Questions:
  • When should voters mail their ballot to be sure it arrives on time?
    • If you are eligible to vote by mail and choose to do so, you should plan ahead to give yourself enough time to complete and return your ballot by your state’s deadlines.
    • For domestic, nonmilitary voters who choose to use the mail to return a completed ballot, our general recommendation is, as a common-sense measure, to mail your completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week prior to your state’s deadline. Some states may recommend allowing even more time for mailing completed ballots.
    • You should always check to make sure you understand your state’s requirements and recommendations on mailing your completed ballot. You can look for information about your state’s requirements and recommendations here: Find your state election website.
  • What about ballots mailed close to Election Day?
    • The Postal Service recognizes that Election Mail, and ballots in particular, are time-sensitive. We are committed to the expeditious processing and delivery of Election Mail, particularly ballots. To minimize the risk that a ballot will not arrive before your state’s deadline, we recommend that, as a best practice, voters act early if they plan to use the mail to return their completed ballot.
    • Between October 26 and November 24, extraordinary measures including expedited handling, extra deliveries and special pickups will be used as in past elections to ensure Election Mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner.
  • What happens if a voter mails a ballot without sufficient postage?  
    • Each state or local Board of Elections if authorized, determines whether to provide voters with a pre-paid return envelope for mail-in ballots or request that voters apply their own appropriate postage. The Postal Service requires election officials to inform voters of the amount of postage required, if applicable.
    • If a return ballot is nevertheless entered into the mailstream with insufficient or unpaid postage, it is the Postal Service’s policy not to delay the delivery of completed absentee balloting materials, including mail-in ballots. In cases where a ballot enters the mailstream without the proper amount of postage, the Postal Service will deliver the ballot and thereafter attempt to collect postage from the appropriate Board of Elections.
  • Some Boards of Elections use postmarks to determine if a ballot was sent on time. What should voters know about postmarking?
    • The Postal Service’s policy is to try to ensure that every return ballot mailed by voters receives a postmark, whether the return ballot is pre-paid by election officials or mailed with a stamp affixed by the voter.
    • Voters are reminded to:
        1. Check collection times posted on collection boxes and at Post Office™ locations and retail facilities. Be mindful of when mail is delivered and picked up at your residential mailbox.
        2. Ballots deposited after the collection time won’t be picked up, or postmarked, until the following business day.
        3. Be aware of mail collection times and practices if ballots are deposited in an office or residential mailroom.
  • How secure are mail-in ballots delivered by the Postal Service? 
    • The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as the federal law enforcement and security arm of the Postal Service, is responsible for defending the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use.
    • The Inspection Service continues to employ its technical capabilities and specialized personnel to protect the critical infrastructure of our processing and distribution networks, as well as the employees who will be delivering to voters across the country.
    • Utilizing proven mail-fraud detection and loss prevention strategies and countermeasures, Postal Inspectors will continue to actively identify attempts to compromise the mail system our nation is depending on during this critical time. Daily coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies ensures each agency has timely information and all agencies’ resources, tools and techniques can be applied to ensure the integrity of America’s election.

U.S. Postal Service
October 1, 2020 [PDF]

2020 U.S. Postal Service Election Mail Preparedness Efforts Fact Sheet

BACKGROUND
The United States Postal Service’s number one priority between now and the November election is the secure, on time delivery of the nation’s Election Mail.  

In August, the Postmaster General committed to ensuring that additional resources would be made available in all areas of operations beginning October 1 to ensure the timely delivery and expeditious handling of the increased volume of Election Mail.

The Postmaster General requested the issuance of an internal directive, effective October 1, to authorize and instruct the use of these additional resources to ensure that all Election Mail is prioritized and delivered securely and on-time. These additional resources go beyond the significant resources already dedicated to Election Mail which were specified in an earlier directive issued on September 21, and a stand-up talk to Postal Service employees issued on September 24.     

The information provided below is illustrative but not exhaustive of the operational readiness measures the Postal Service has implemented ahead of the November election.

SEPTEMBER 25 DIRECTIVE ALLOCATING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES BEGINNING OCTOBER 1

Processing of Election Mail: Ensuring Election Mail Moves Expeditiously
The September 25 directive outlines additional processing resources that are authorized and instructed to be used beginning October 1 to ensure that Election Mail stays current and moving through the Postal Service’s network. This includes, but is not limited to, the resources mentioned below:
  • Election Mail entered as Marketing Mail should be advanced ahead of all other Marketing Mail and processed expeditiously to the extent feasible so that it is generally delivered in line with First-Class Mail delivery standards.
  • Processing windows on letter and flat sorting equipment should be expanded as necessary to ensure that all Election Mail received prior to the First-Class Mail Critical Entry Time is processed that same day.
  • To the extent possible, Election Mail received after the First Class Mail Critical Entry Time should be processed and advanced as if it arrived prior to the First Class Mail Critical Entry Time, unless doing so would disrupt on-time service for Election Mail received prior to the First Class Mail Critical Time Entry.
  • Processing windows for cancellation operations should be expanded to ensure all collected ballots are processed in a timely manner. Each cancellation site will have expanded processing windows for the week prior to and including Election Day.
Transportation: Ensuring Election Mail Reaches Its Destination
  • Extra transportation resources are authorized and instructed to be used to ensure that Election Mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner.
  • This use of extra transportation includes, but is not limited to, extra trips from all points of processing and delivery (e.g., retail units and plants), as necessary to connect Election Mail to its intended destination or the next stage in Postal Service processing.
Extra Delivery/Collections: Getting Completed Ballots to Appropriate Election Officials
  • Extra delivery and collection should be used to ensure, to the best of our ability, that completed ballots entered on Election Day reach the appropriate election official by the state’s designated deadline on Election Day.
  • This includes, but is not limited to, early collections the week before Election Day to ensure all collected ballots are processed in a timely manner, and delivery of ballots found in collections on Election Day to election boards within states requiring that ballots be returned by a designated time on Election Day.
Overtime: Staffing Teams to Deliver on Election Mail
  • Overtime is authorized and instructed to be used to support these additional resources and the completion of the additional work, as needed.
Expedited Handling, Extra Deliveries, Special Pick-Ups
  • To further support the timely delivery of Election Mail, and consistent with practices in past election cycles, the use of extraordinary measures beyond normal course of operations is authorized and expected to be executed by local management between October 26 and November 24 to accelerate the delivery of ballots, when the Postal Service is able to identify the mailpiece as a ballot.
  • These extraordinary measures include, but are not limited to, expedited handling, extra deliveries, and special pickups as used in past elections, to connect blank ballots entered by election officials to voters or completed ballots returned by voters entered close to or on Election Day to their intended destination (e.g., Priority Mail Express, Sunday deliveries, special deliveries, running collected ballots to Boards of Elections on Election Day, etc.).
OPERATIONAL READINESS MEASURES

The following items are existing and expanded practices utilized by the Postal Service to ensure operational readiness
  • Ballot Ambassadors. In August, the Postmaster Generalexpanded the Postal Service’s national Election Mail Task Force to include union leadership and the leadership of Postal Service management associations. This expanded task force is leading the effort to set up localized task forces, including “ballot ambassadors”. The ballot ambassadors will allow strong information sharing across the country as local teams share their findings with other local teams on a regular basis.
  • Coordination with State and Local Election Officials. The Postal Service will continue to communicate closely with election officials to educate them on best practices and recommendations for successfully using the mail as part of their election administration. The Postal Service has also sought to educate voters across the nation to request their ballots early (if they are required to request a ballot) and to return their ballots early, if they plan on using the mail to return their completed ballot.
  • Standardized Tools. Political & Election Mail logs, Operational Clean Sweep Checklists, and daily All Clear processes are used to help track Election Mail through Postal Service facilities as well as to ensure that Election Mail is accounted for and properly handled. Teams in the field are conducting self and peer audits to make sure these tools are being used to their maximum effectiveness.
  • Communications with Employees. Training and tools for employees are held to ensure they have the knowledge available to support the processing and delivery of all Election Mail volume, and partner with union leadership to further emphasize these important messages.
  • Webinars. Weekly webinars with an operational, and often Election-Mail, focus are held and attended by hundreds of leaders across the Postal Service to discuss key points and learnings, such as those gained from service reviews, and spread these messages to all locations. Weekly webinars for Political and Election Mail Coordinators are also held to review and discuss relevant topics and issues.
ADDITIONAL ELECTION MAIL PROCEDURES AND ACTIVITIES
Mail Processing
  • No mail processing facilities will be closed or consolidated, and no letter or flat sorting machines will be removed before the November election. The Postal Service has more than sufficient capacity to process current and anticipated Election Mail volumes with the existing machine supply.
  • Available machines will be returned to service if Headquarters or the Regional Vice President determine that doing so is necessary to fulfill Election Mail service commitments.
Late and Extra Trips
  • Late or extra trips have not been banned. They should not be restricted if they are reasonably necessary to complete timely mail delivery. Managers are authorized to use their best business judgment to meet service commitments. Focusing on the transportation schedule does not mean that mail should be left behind — it should not.
Collection Boxes
  • The Postal Service has suspended the removal of any collection boxes until after the 2020 election.
  • There may be temporary removal or covering of boxes due to extreme weather, national security incidents, or local events such as wildfires or civil unrest.
  • Any collection boxes damaged — for example, by hurricane or a car accident — must be reported and replaced as soon as possible. 
Retail Hours
  • The Postal Service will not reduce retail hours before the November election.
  • Natural disasters, civil unrest, or lack of employee availability due to the coronavirus pandemic may necessitate temporary changes, but local managers are not permitted to reduce retail hours without review and approval by both Area and Headquarters management. 

U.S. Postal Service
October 1, 2020

USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Confirms Additional Resources to Ensure Successful Delivery of Election Mail

WASHINGTON, DC — As part of the ongoing preparations by the United States Postal Service for the November election, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requested the issuance of an internal directive to authorize and instruct the use of additional resources to satisfy any unforeseen demand and ensure that all Election Mail is prioritized and delivered securely and on time. The directive is in response to the Postmaster General’s commitment made in August to engage standby resources in all areas of operations beginning Oct. 1, 2020.

“The U.S. Postal Service’s number one priority between now and the November election is the secure, on-time delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. The Postal Service, our unions, and the more than 630,000 postal employees are united in delivering on this sacred duty,” said Postmaster General DeJoy. “These actions ensure additional resources will be made available as needed to handle whatever volume of Election Mail we receive.”

The directive, issued on Sept. 25, authorizes and instructs the use of additional resources beginning on Oct. 1 by local teams including District Managers, Postmasters, Division Directors and Plant Managers across all areas of operations. These additional resources include, but are not limited to, expanded processing procedures, extra transportation, extra delivery and collection trips and overtime to ensure that Election Mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner. These additional resources go beyond the significant resources already dedicated to Election Mail which were specified in an earlier directive issued on Sept. 21, and a stand-up talk to Postal Service employees issued on Sept. 24. 

A fact sheet outlining operational readiness measures the Postal Service has implemented related to Election Mail can be found at  about.usps.com/newsroom/statements/100120-usps-election-mail-preparedness-efforts-fact-sheet.pdf

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U.S. Postal Service
August 21, 2020

U.S. Postal Service Launches New Election Mail Website

Site Provides Information for Election Officials and Voters Choosing to Use U.S. Mail to Vote

WASHINGTON, DC — As part of its ongoing effort to ensure that voters and election officials have the information they need to successfully use the U.S. Mail to vote in the November general elections, the U.S. Postal Service has launched a new Election Mail website. The website, which provides clear and concise information about voting by mail, is available 24/7 by going to: usps.com/votinginfo.

The Postal Service recognizes that many states are choosing to expand mail-in voting options in the upcoming elections and that there will likely be a significant increase in demand among postal customers to participate in those elections by using the mail. In response, the Postal Service has updated its website to serve both voting customers seeking information on how to use the mail to vote and election officials seeking resources to help make their administration of the upcoming elections a success.

For domestic voters, the website provides direct links to federal election resources as well as links to state-specific resources. For overseas and military voters, the new site provides additional information, including links to resources supporting their election participation.

The site also highlights what the Postal Service views as the most critical information for voters who opt to vote through the U.S. Mail: that, in requesting or casting a mail-in ballot, they not only must comply with their local jurisdictions’ requirements, but also should start the process early. To allow sufficient time for voters to receive, complete and return ballots via the mail, the Postal Service strongly recommends that voters request ballots at the earliest point allowable, but no later than 15 days prior to the election date. The Postal Service also recommends that voters mail their ballots at least one week prior to their states’ due dates to allow for timely receipt by election officials. Voters should contact their local election officials for further information about deadlines and other requirements.

In addition, the site provides resources to state and local election officials as part of the Postal Service’s ongoing efforts to partner with such officials to make the elections a success. The site guides election officials in contacting Postal Service personnel to discuss how they can design their mailings in a manner that comports with postal regulations, improves mail piece visibility and ensures efficient processing as well as timely delivery. The site also provides links to information, such as the official 2020 Official Election Mail Kit (Kit 600) and the State and Local Election Officials User’s Guide (Publication 632), both of which were distributed to 11,500 election officials earlier this year.

The U.S. Postal Service remains fully committed to fulfilling its role in the electoral process when policymakers choose to use our services in administering elections. The Postal Service can fully handle and deliver the anticipated increase in Election Mail volume and is continuing to coordinate with state and local election officials through November. Election officials and voters are being asked to be mindful of the Postal Service’s established delivery standards and consider how the mail actually works, so that voters have adequate time to request, receive, complete and send their mail-in ballots. The Postal Service will continue to do everything in its power to efficiently handle and deliver Election Mail, including ballots, in a manner consistent with the proven processes and procedures that have been relied upon for years.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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