With the election behind it, the U.S. Postal Service is now looking to shake the restrictions that have prevented it from moving forward with a number of controversial reforms that led to slower mail delivery.
USPS is appealing a series of preliminary defeats it suffered in federal courts across the country as federal lawmakers, state officials and concerned citizens fought back on new initiatives implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy earlier this year. In each case, judges issued injunctions on the Postal Service blocking DeJoy’s efforts, which caused widespread pushback in the run up to the November election.
Various judges blocked DeJoy’s initiative to cut back on late and early mail transportation trips, which he said were costly and unnecessary, as well as efforts to decommission mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes. They also enjoined USPS from slashing overtime. The operational changes had led to widespread mail delays, which continued through the election despite largely successful efforts to expedite ballot delivery. While the judges’ orders primarily focused on postal operations prior to and in the immediate aftermath of the election, they have yet to lift their injunctions.
