In the runup to Election Day, the Postal Inspection Service maintained an election operations center to safeguard the nation’s Election Mail.
Operating from Nov. 1-9 at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, the center was staffed around the clock by Inspection Service employees who responded to calls, emails and reports from other law enforcement agencies concerning threats to Election Mail.
“The election operations center helped us work criminal investigations and security and prevention efforts simultaneously, and to our fullest ability,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale.
The operations center was part of the Postal Service’s broader effort to deliver for the nation during this year’s general election. The organization also implemented extraordinary measures, including additional pickups, extra deliveries, special lines for customers dropping off ballots at Post Offices and employing special features on processing equipment to expedite and enhance ballot delivery.
A recent report shows USPS processed 99.22 million ballots for last month’s general election, with 99.88 percent delivered from voters to election officials within seven days.
On average, completed ballots were delivered from voters to election officials within one day.
In addition to the operations center at headquarters, postal inspectors helped staff emergency operations centers at the FBI and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency, as well as at various state-level operations centers.
“We worked closely with our law enforcement partners to swiftly respond to and investigate any criminal or security incidents involving Election Mail,” said Brendan Donahue, an assistant postal inspector in charge for criminal investigations.
The Inspection Service emphasized that tampering with any mail, including Election Mail, is a federal crime and anyone caught doing so could serve time in prison.
“The Postal Inspection Service takes our role in maintaining the integrity of the vote-by-mail process as critically important work, and a sacred duty,” Barksdale said.
