Yesterday, Judge Stanley Bastian of the federal district court in Washington state issued a nationwide order prohibiting the Postal Service from making major operational changes before the November election. The lawsuit was led by the State of Washington, and it was joined by Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Court was concerned that Postmaster General DeJoy was making or allowing operational changes or policies that could slow down the mail and result in the disenfranchisement of voters. The Judge directed the Postal Service to stop these changes, and not make any more changes that could interfere with the high quality of mail service that postal workers are rightly proud to provide the people of the country.
The injunction should mean a return to the policies and practices postal workers know that have successfully facilitated voting by mail for decades. Millions of people need to vote by mail this year to be safe and healthy. Millions more will want to vote by mail in the future. With this Court order and the PMG’s commitments to Congress, combined with the dedication of postal workers to our mission of public service, the people of the country should be confident in the Postal Service’s ability to safely and securely process and deliver election mail this fall.
FEDERAL COURT MATTERS