State and local election officials from across the country have expressed grave concerns about the nation's mail delivery system, warning that its persistent deficiencies could disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election. In a letter addressed to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the officials highlighted ongoing problems with the delivery of mailed ballots, including delays in receiving postmarked ballots on time and the return of properly addressed election mail as undeliverable.

Over the past year, election offices have repeatedly reported receiving postmarked ballots days after the deadline to be counted. This could potentially hinder voter participation and create chaos when voters show up in person to cast their ballot, only to find out they have been marked as inactive due to undeliverable mail. Despite previous outreach attempts to resolve these issues, the officials stated that the problems persist and demonstrate a pervasive lack of understanding and enforcement of USPS policies among its employees.

The letter, signed by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors, urged DeJoy to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues with USPS election mail service. Failure to do so, they cautioned, would risk further limiting voter participation and eroding trust in the election process.

The concerns come at a crucial time as the first mailed ballots for this year's general election are being sent out to absentee voters in Alabama. Election officials from "nearly every state" have reported receiving timely postmarked ballots after Election Day and beyond the three to five business days that USPS claims as the standard for first-class mail. The situation raises alarm bells, particularly amidst the backdrop of former President Donald Trump's false claims about the 2020 election and a surge in mail-in voting due to the ongoing pandemic.

Postal Service officials had previously assured that they were prepared to handle the anticipated influx of mail ballots for the November election. However, state officials, particularly those in rural areas, have long been critical of the USPS due to consolidation measures that have led to slower mail processing and delivery.

The mishandling of election mail poses significant consequences for voters. Any mail returned to election offices as undeliverable could trigger a federal process that categorizes voters as inactive, forcing them to take additional steps to verify their address in order to participate in the election. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab shared his own experiences of nearly 1,000 ballots from the state's recent primary election arriving too late or without postmarks, rendering them ineligible to be counted.

Schwab and other Kansas election officials have called for the use of local ballot drop boxes as a secure alternative to relying solely on mail-in voting. Their concerns stem from instances where ballots arrive on time but lack postmarks, preventing their counting under Kansas law. Despite claims that local postal clerks cannot add postmarks retrospectively, Kansas allows a three-day grace period for ballots postmarked on or before Election Day.

The letter from election officials emphasized that there is an urgent need for the USPS to become a committed partner to state and local election officials. Postal Service staff's reported lack of understanding, inconsistent guidance, and misdelivery of election-related mail only exacerbate the concerns and challenges faced by election administrators across the country.

As the election season intensifies, it is imperative that the USPS takes immediate action to rectify the persistent problems with its mail delivery system. The assurance of a fair and efficient election process relies on the timely and reliable delivery of all election mail, ensuring that every citizen's vote is counted.