Alarmed election officials nationwide warn that the U.S. postal service is not equipped to handle mail-in ballots this year. In a move that should surprise no one, the call is out for an increase in ballot drop boxes as a solution. 

The concerned officials sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on the same day the first mail-in ballots for this year’s general election were sent out to Alabama absentee voters. 

Officials said that over the past year, mail-in ballots sent on time arrived at election offices days after the deadline to be counted. They also mentioned that correctly addressed election mail was being returned as undeliverable. This could cause voters to be marked inactive, leading to problems at the polls. 

Attempts to fix the postal service issues have not worked, and the widespread problems showed that these were not just isolated mistakes or issues with specific locations. Instead, they showed a general lack of understanding and enforcement of postal service policies among its employees. 

DeJoy denies the concerns. The Postal Service says it’s ready to deliver election mail quickly, even though updating its network has caused some delivery problems. Mail is taking an average of 2.7 days to be delivered, the Postal Service says.  

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab recently wrote a separate letter to DeJoy about problems with ballots from the state’s August 6 primary. Nearly 1,000 ballots couldn’t be counted because they arrived too late or didn’t have postmarks, and more are still coming in. Schwab joked on social media that the Pony Express would be faster. 

Schwab and other Kansas officials said some ballots arrive on time but missing postmarks, which means they can’t be counted according to Kansas law. Local postal workers have told election officials they can’t add postmarks later, even if it’s clear the Postal Service handled the ballot before the deadline. 

Kansas counts ballots postmarked on or before Election Day if they arrive within three days. This rule was set up in 2017 because mail delivery had slowed after the Postal Service closed several mail-processing centers in the state. Schwab supports using local drop boxes for early voting, saying they are more secure than the mail, despite some other Republicans’ concerns about fraud. 

In the letter to DeJoy on Wednesday, election officials said that people working for the Postal Service, from managers to mail carriers, don’t always know the rules for handling election mail. They give confusing advice and sometimes deliver ballots incorrectly. The officials wrote that no matter how much they try to communicate, they can’t compensate for the Postal Service’s failure to meet delivery deadlines. They said state and local election officials need the Postal Service to be a reliable partner in the election process. 

Last month, postal service officials said that almost 98% of ballots were returned to election offices within three days in 2020 and nearly 99% in 2022. DeJoy hopes to get even closer to 100% this election and says the postal service is better at handling ballots than before.  

However, officials in rural areas have criticized the postal service for cutting costs by closing mail-processing centers. 

The letter from election officials, signed by current and incoming leaders of election groups from 25 states, warned that if any election mail is returned as undeliverable, it could put voters on an “inactive” list. This means voters might need to confirm their address to be able to vote. 

In 2020, during the pandemic, election officials mailed out over 69 million ballots, which was a lot more than four years earlier. While the number of mail ballots might be smaller this year, many voters still depend on mail voting. Both Democrats and Republicans are encouraging their supporters to vote early, either in person or by mail, to make sure their votes are counted before Election Day on November 5. 

But never fear. Ballot drop-off boxes will be increased throughout the nation. The stage is being set for the next big move by Democrats to pave the way to “victory” in November.