USPS ‘absolutely ready’ to handle millions of ballots ahead of midterm elections, postmaster general says
During the 2024 presidential election, the USPS handled 99.2 million ballots sent to and from voters
The U.S. Postal Service is fully prepared to process millions of mail-in ballots ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine control of the U.S. Congress along with other major races, the head of the agency stated on Thursday.
"Everybody is engaged and absolutely ready for the next two weeks," U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner told reporters.
Earlier this month, the Postal Service announced a plan to implement a series of "extraordinary measures" for the election, which include expanded retail operating hours, expedited handling, extra delivery runs, and specialized ballot pickups.
Steiner noted that these special procedures are scheduled to begin on October 24 "to expedite completed ballots to election offices during the final stretch of the election season," adding that the steps include "local turnaround to bypass all processing when it's absolutely necessary to get ballots on time."
The postal service confirmed its commitment to delivering all ballots submitted by mail, while advising voters to post their items at least a week before local deadline dates.
The update follows a September 14 US Supreme Court decision that refused to allow the USPS to enforce a rule targeting mail-in ballots, representing a setback to President Donald Trump's attempt to curtail voting by mail. The agency subsequently confirmed it would not implement the rule.
The policy had been established following a March executive order issued by Trump aimed at imposing stricter controls on mail-in voting.
During the 2024 presidential election, the USPS handled 99.2 million ballots sent to and from voters.
Roughly 30% of all votes were cast by mail in November 2024, down from the 46% recorded in 2020.
Trump's fellow Republicans are currently locked in a competitive battle to retain their control of Congress. According to various surveys, restrictions on mail-in voting tend to work to the advantage of Republicans because Democratic voters rely on mail-in ballots in higher numbers.
Under the blocked regulation, individual states would have needed to supply the USPS with lists of mail ballot recipients while using agency-approved return and outbound envelopes featuring unique barcodes. The Postal Service would have held the authority to reject non-compliant ballots or those associated with individuals missing from the state lists.
