- USPS outlines specific actions to replicate past successes from the 2020 and 2022 elections in preparation for the 2024 general election.
- USPS will deploy proven extraordinary measures in the weeks immediately ahead of and following the Nov. 5 general election.
- USPIS to implement robust measures to ensure the secure delivery of mail-in ballots.
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) outlined its preparations for the secure and successful delivery of Election Mail in the 2024 general election during a media briefing today. USPS will draw from its successes during the 2020 and 2022 elections to ensure the smooth handling of the nation’s Election Mail – including ballots. This week, the Postal Service representatives also briefed House and Senate committee staff of its preparedness to deliver the nation’s ballots.
“Our letter carriers and facilities teams across the country, the 640,000 women and men of the Postal Service, are fully focused on the critical mission of delivering the nation’s election mail – just as we have done so excellently through this current primary season and as we have done in the past,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “We are proud to do our part to help citizens’ who choose to use the mail to vote to do so effectively.”
In the 2020 general election, the Postal Service delivered 99.89 percent of ballots from voters to election officials within seven days. The 2022 midterm elections saw a similar level of on-time performance, with 99.93 percent of ballots delivered within the same timeframe. Post election analysis of the Postal Service’s performance in the 2020 and 2022 elections can be found here and here. The Postal Service has the operational capacity to deliver the nation’s ballots in the final weeks of the election. In 2020, ballots accounted for just .11% of the Postal Service’s total mail volume.
USPS officials announced that the organization will once again implement proven extraordinary measures in the weeks immediately before and after the general election (Oct. 21 – Nov. 15, 2024) to enhance the timely delivery of mail-in ballots entered close to or on Election Day and/or the state’s ballot return deadline. These efforts may include additional pickups, extra deliveries, and special sort plans on processing equipment to expedite and enhance ballot delivery.
USPS officials reiterated the organization’s commitment to pausing the movement of mail and packages at facilities that were previously identified during its Mail Processing and Facility Reviews until early 2025. A complete list of impacted facilities can be found here.
Furthermore, the Postal Service will use its discretion to avoid unnecessary optics or perception concerns, even when not related to new initiatives, and even when there is no real possibility that they will impact the Election Mail performance of the Postal Service. For example, management will suspend certain activities around collection management. Changes, such as replacement (unless due to vandalism) or removal of collection boxes, time changes to collections, or changes to eLocks will be suspended.
Adrienne Marshall, director of Election and Government Mail Services, highlighted USPS’s efforts to provide ongoing communications to election officials across the country, and expanded on her team’s continuous efforts to prepare for elections:
“Since late last year, The Postal Service has met regularly with stakeholders across the election mail landscape, including State and Local election administrators, Postal Unions and Management Associations, Federal Agencies & Congress, the Mailing Industry and non-governmental organizations. We have good working relationships with these organizations, and we greatly appreciate their partnership,” said Marshall. “Our dedicated election preparedness team will remain closely engaged with state and local election officials and other stakeholders through November to ensure we are acting quickly to address any Election Mail-related issue that may arise in the delivery of a ballot to and from a voter.”
Finally, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – the federal law enforcement and security arm of USPS – highlighted its plan to implement robust measures aimed at ensuring the secure delivery of all mail-in ballots. USPIS will leverage its extensive experience and resources to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. This includes rigorous security protocols, continuous monitoring, and prompt response to any potential threats or incidents.
“We understand the critical role we play in the democratic process, and we are resolute in our efforts to secure the delivery of ballots and all Election Mail,” said Brendan Donahue, Assistant Inspector in Charge. “We are committed to ensuring the safe and secure delivery of Election Mail to and from voters, the integrity of our nation’s elections, and the protection of election officials from threatening and dangerous mail. We take a whole of agency and a whole of government approach to this critical mission, employing all our law enforcement resources and working in close coordination with our local, state, and federal law enforcement and security partners.”