If past is prologue, experts worry that the US Postal Service will not be able to handle the number of absentee ballots that are expected to be cast during this fall’s midterm election.
In 2020, the Postal Service performed poorly in similar circumstances, with many ballots arriving late to voters’ homes or not at all. Now, the Postal Service has created an “election mail strike” team to oversee issues associated with mailed ballots, but experts are doubtful that these efforts will guarantee better election security.
During the 2020 election cycle, 1 percent of voters experienced problems with mail-in ballots, including delays and tracking errors, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey. In a tight election, that can make a difference.
Jan BenDor, a former Michigan election administrator with 18 years’ experience, said that thousands of ballots were delivered too late to be counted in Michigan during the 2020 election cycle.
She added that another “avalanche” of absentee ballots could create the same issues for this year’s midterm election if the situation is not managed properly.
“What tools will they be given to succeed?” BenDor pondered about the Postal Service’s new election oversight team. “What’s going to make a difference from 2020, when so many were late?”
The Postal Service stated in an email to WhoWhatWhy that it is fully committed to the “secure and timely delivery of election mail during the 2022 election cycle.”