Democrats raise concerns about U.S. Postal delays ahead of election

By David Shepardson

 

FILE PHOTO: Some of the millions of mail-in election ballots are shown at the Orange County Registrar of voters before being sent to the U.S. Postal Service for delivery to voters in Santa Ana, California, U.S., October 5, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in Congress on Wednesday said reported delays in mail deliveries in some U.S. cities could jeopardize delivery of ballots ahead of next week's presidential election.

 

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington late Tuesday ordered the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to release daily reports on mail deliveries, participate in daily court conferences and take other steps to ensure timely delivery of ballots.

 

He directed USPS distribute guidance to workers by Thursday of the need to ensure "completed ballots reach the appropriate election official by the state's designated deadline."

 

House Oversight and Reform Committee chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said Postal "delays are now jeopardizing the delivery of election mail, so I encourage all Americans who have not yet voted to vote in person or use designated election drop boxes."

 

USPS spokesman Dave Partenheimer said the Postal Service is complying with Judge Sullivan's order. "We take all of our legal obligations very seriously."

 

USPS does not recommend mailing ballots less than seven days before state deadlines. Some states accept ballots if postmarked by Nov. 3, while others require receipt by Election Day.

 

Last Friday, USPS told Sullivan it returned 137 mail processing machines to service since August and approved thousands of daily extra or late delivery trips.

 

Lawmakers heavily criticized Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump donor who took over in June, for cost-cutting organizational changes adopted in July including eliminating extra deliveries. A USPS inspector general audit report released last week said those changes were a factor in delayed deliveries. DeJoy suspended changes in August.

 

Four U.S. judges, including Sullivan, have issued injunctions barring USPS from making service reductions.

 

USPS said it has delivered more than 100 million blank or completed ballots since early September.

 

Record numbers of voters are casting ballots by mail instead of in person because of the coronavirus pandemic, but President Donald Trump has repeatedly said, without providing evidence, that mail voting would lead to widespread fraud.

 

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-29

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Watching such a big and powerful country being unable to organize fair and square elections once every four years is really sad. 

 

The USofA should be renamed the BRofA, and the stars on the flag should be replaced with bananas! 

 

In history books, this is what will be called "decadence" in the future, like there was the decadence of Rome, and many other former empires... 

 

 

21 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Watching such a big and powerful country being unable to organize fair and square elections once every four years is really sad. 

 

 

 

 

It is not so much unable...  It is a conscious effort by 1 political party to make voting more difficult.

 

I don't really understand it myself. You don't have to agree politically. But what the Republican Party is doing here is a violation of democratic standards.

 

As a political party you cannot sink much deeper. It's not just Trump, the entire Republican party is guilty.

 

I can remember a time when the US was an example of democratic values, an example of how it should be. Trump has definitely destroyed that whole picture.

 

 

 

Don't trust the post! 

 

It was Trump who said that voting by mail was/is not free from corruption, but the Democratic Party pushed it ...

I applaud the Election Commission in my state, California.  My ballot came to my home accompanied by a list of six ballot collection points within a 10 minute drive from my home.  The one I chose had no lines and plenty of free parking.  While I was there one voter dropped his ballot while I was walking to the ballot box, and a second voter dropped his off while I was walking back to my car.  No long lines. No voter suppression in my area of eastern LA suburbs.

24 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Don't trust the post! 

 

 

24 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Don't trust the post! 

 

The dog ate my homework.

45 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Don't trust the post! 

 

 

'Tucker Carlson’s Conspiracy Theory Falls Apart In The Weirdest Way Possible'

 

What a clown!

45 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Don't trust the post! 

 

More likely, don't trust the shady characters who dreamt up this rubbish about the Bidens........maybe Hunter did profit from his association with his father, as have trumps relatives, but there is no credible evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden. 

 

And for the record, why should people trust a compulsive liar, a right wing crook like Steve Bannon and a dubious character like Giuliani??

 

The story in the link below throws some light on the subject.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/trump-had-one-last-story-to-sell-the-wall-street-journal-wouldnt-buy-it/H4ZH7GSBW6UBABTBKCVZ6SWCWY/ 

 

 

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

De Joy was appointed by Trump to specifically hold up mail in ballots to increase his chances of winning the election by any and every means possible .I am hoping that Biden wins by a landslide to show Trump just how much US citizens hate him .

The GOP SHOULD HAVE IMPEACHED HIM and now so many Republicans Senators are going to pay the ultimate price by being kicked out of office .

 

Could you please provide the evidence, siting reliable source(s), that confirm Trump specifically appointed De Joy to hold up mail ballots please.

 

If not, please delete the post as it is against forum rules to post fake news. The poster is responsible for verifying they post factual news. 

 

Thanks

speculative conspiracy troll post removed

3 hours ago, dimitriv said:

 

It is not so much unable...  It is a conscious effort by 1 political party to make voting more difficult.

It is neither the Republicans, nor the Democrats, who are responsible for this mess, but rather the state, and the states!

 

Vote by mail, fine, but with one rule for the whole country, and that rule is (or should be) very simple:

 

the ballots should be received (not posted) by November 3rd, midnight, to be counted along with the in person votes!

 

Some states will keep on accepting mailed votes for weeks after November 3 ...ridiculous!

 

And with so many mailed votes, one wonder how it is possible to check if people have not voted twice, or more?

 

From outside, it feels like the system was built in order to facilitate fraud...Africa style...

Trump will do anything to be reelected he’s the worst president America has ever seen he’s a big liar a cheat and a crook

13 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

It is neither the Republicans, nor the Democrats, who are responsible for this mess, but rather the state, and the states!

 

Vote by mail, fine, but with one rule for the whole country, and that rule is (or should be) very simple:

 

the ballots should be received (not posted) by November 3rd, midnight, to be counted along with the in person votes!

 

Some states will keep on accepting mailed votes for weeks after November 3 ...ridiculous!

 

And with so many mailed votes, one wonder how it is possible to check if people have not voted twice, or more?

 

From outside, it feels like the system was built in order to facilitate fraud...Africa style...

If its postmarked 3 nov it should be counted. Its not the voters fault if the head of USPS stops overtime and slows deliveries to help his friend.

 

They know there is a virus and will be a surge in mail in ballots and whay did they do, they trashed the ballot sorting machines.

 

I dont know why clerks are not allowed to start counting now, as they receive them, that would speed up the process.

16 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

Trump will do anything to be reelected he’s the worst president America has ever seen he’s a big liar a cheat and a crook

Next job Pope ...

2 hours ago, Jack Mountain said:

Next job Pope ...

and Nobel Peace Prize laureate!

8 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Watching such a big and powerful country being unable to organize fair and square elections once every four years is really sad. 

 

The USofA should be renamed the BRofA, and the stars on the flag should be replaced with bananas! 

 

In history books, this is what will be called "decadence" in the future, like there was the decadence of Rome, and many other former empires... 

 

 

Oh I beg to differ my country has organized free and fair elections for many many decades it’s trumps attempts to corrupt them that is bad my fellow citizens are literally risking their lives to oust this abomination from office we all see he is incapable of working within the constitution he is a lousy leader intentionally spreading lies and a virulent deadly virus at his (rallies) now we are done!

8 hours ago, keith101 said:

De Joy was appointed by Trump to specifically hold up mail in ballots to increase his chances of winning the election by any and every means possible .I am hoping that Biden wins by a landslide to show Trump just how much US citizens hate him .

The GOP SHOULD HAVE IMPEACHED HIM and now so many Republicans Senators are going to pay the ultimate price by being kicked out of office .

Trump was impeached.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Democrats raise concerns about U.S. Postal delays ahead of election

By David Shepardson

 

FILE PHOTO: Some of the millions of mail-in election ballots are shown at the Orange County Registrar of voters before being sent to the U.S. Postal Service for delivery to voters in Santa Ana, California, U.S., October 5, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in Congress on Wednesday said reported delays in mail deliveries in some U.S. cities could jeopardize delivery of ballots ahead of next week's presidential election.

 

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington late Tuesday ordered the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to release daily reports on mail deliveries, participate in daily court conferences and take other steps to ensure timely delivery of ballots.

 

He directed USPS distribute guidance to workers by Thursday of the need to ensure "completed ballots reach the appropriate election official by the state's designated deadline."

 

House Oversight and Reform Committee chairwoman Carolyn Maloney said Postal "delays are now jeopardizing the delivery of election mail, so I encourage all Americans who have not yet voted to vote in person or use designated election drop boxes."

 

USPS spokesman Dave Partenheimer said the Postal Service is complying with Judge Sullivan's order. "We take all of our legal obligations very seriously."

 

USPS does not recommend mailing ballots less than seven days before state deadlines. Some states accept ballots if postmarked by Nov. 3, while others require receipt by Election Day.

 

Last Friday, USPS told Sullivan it returned 137 mail processing machines to service since August and approved thousands of daily extra or late delivery trips.

 

Lawmakers heavily criticized Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump donor who took over in June, for cost-cutting organizational changes adopted in July including eliminating extra deliveries. A USPS inspector general audit report released last week said those changes were a factor in delayed deliveries. DeJoy suspended changes in August.

 

Four U.S. judges, including Sullivan, have issued injunctions barring USPS from making service reductions.

 

USPS said it has delivered more than 100 million blank or completed ballots since early September.

 

Record numbers of voters are casting ballots by mail instead of in person because of the coronavirus pandemic, but President Donald Trump has repeatedly said, without providing evidence, that mail voting would lead to widespread fraud.

 

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-29

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

Well, the Dems were the ones who pushed that voting in person would mean certain death.

24 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

 

Well, the Dems were the ones who pushed that voting in person would mean certain death.

Double nonsense. Not only did they say no such thing but the question is about whether the postal service is doing all it should be doing to make sure ballots are delivered in a timely manner.

In the midst of a pandemic the Trump administration makes a decision to mess with the postal service.   That's very bad timing.  For people who are having to shop on line and can't easily or safely go to stores, it's particularly dangerous.  It certainly dangerous to people who get medication on line.  

 

In keeping with the White House recommendations on masks and social distancing, in-person voting is also a risky behavior, especially if you have many hundreds of people lining up to vote.   

 

In the area where I own a home, the postal service stopped delivering mail to the communal area where all the mailboxes are located.   A really, really stupid move, which was quickly reversed.   The alternative was to have approximately 500 households going to the post office, standing in line to get the mail.  

 

With nothing in the changes to the postal service being in accordance with the pandemic 'plan', it's clear it was a political move, designed to deny citizens the right to vote.   

On 10/29/2020 at 12:36 PM, cdemundo said:

I applaud the Election Commission in my state, California.  My ballot came to my home accompanied by a list of six ballot collection points within a 10 minute drive from my home.  The one I chose had no lines and plenty of free parking.  While I was there one voter dropped his ballot while I was walking to the ballot box, and a second voter dropped his off while I was walking back to my car.  No long lines. No voter suppression in my area of eastern LA suburbs.

 

And meanwhile, in Republic held areas, we have shameful vote suppression antics like this regarding drop-boxes for mail-in ballots:

 

Quote

 

Texas Supreme Court sides with governor on rule requiring one ballot drop box per county

 

(CNN)The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's order to limit mail-in ballot drop box locations to one site per county, a decision that largely affects the Houston and Austin areas.
 

The court ruled that Abbott's order "provides Texas voters more ways to vote in the November 3 election than does the Election Code" and that it doesn't "disenfranchise anyone."
 

Opponents of Abbott's order had argued it exceeded the governor's authority and also created an unjust burden on voters in larger counties to travel far distances to drop off their ballots. Critics also argued it increased voters' risk of contracting Covid-19.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/27/politics/texas-supreme-court-drop-boxes/index.html

 

Houston TX = Harris County -- pop. about 4.7 million people, area about 1700 square miles. And Harris County voted for Clinton over Trump in 2016.

 

Austin TX = Travis County -- pop. about 1.2 million people, area about 1000 square miles. And Travis County voted for Clinton over Trump in 2016.

 

Maybe try to get people to vote for you...rather than always complaining about the process.

11 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Maybe try to get people to vote for you...rather than always complaining about the process.

Just make it as easy as possible to vote.

8 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Just make it as easy as possible to vote.

Registering and showing up at a polling place (or mailing in a ballot) is pretty easy.

8 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Registering and showing up at a polling place (or mailing in a ballot) is pretty easy.

One polling station for 4.7 mio people in an area of 1700 square miles is not exactly easy.

 

Any reasonable explanation why only 1 station for that many people in that big an area?

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

One polling station for 4.7 mio people in an area of 1700 square miles is not exactly easy.

 

Any reasonable explanation why only 1 station for that many people in that big an area?

Isn't that one too many...isn't the Democrat Party mantra that in-person voting KILLS people? That's why the big push for the "vote by mail" farce.

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Isn't that one too many...isn't the Democrat Party mantra that in-person voting KILLS people? That's why the big push for the "vote by mail" farce.

As usual, avoiding the issue.

12 minutes ago, stevenl said:

As usual, avoiding the issue.

For a "mail-in election," why are any polling places necessary? And isn't the conventional wisdom that Republicans favor voting in person so I should think you would be happy with this single [inconvenient] polling place.

23 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

For a "mail-in election," why are any polling places necessary? And isn't the conventional wisdom that Republicans favor voting in person so I should think you would be happy with this single [inconvenient] polling place.

Unlike you, Stevenl wants voting to equally accessible to all voters regardless of their political affiliation. Unlike, he doesn't believe that access to the ballot box should be manipulated to wage political warfare on brhslf of one party or another.