The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) plans extra mail-handling steps to move completed ballots to election offices before the Nov. 3 midterms, when voters will decide control of Congress and choose officials in other races.
USPS announced the procedures earlier this month, The Independent reported. The plan includes longer hours at postal retail counters, faster handling for ballot mail, additional delivery trips and dedicated ballot collections.
Postmaster General David Steiner told reporters Thursday that the agency was “absolutely ready for the next two weeks.” He said local handling could direct time-sensitive ballots to election offices without any postal processing if that were needed to meet delivery deadlines.
USPS advised voters to allow at least a week between mailing a ballot and the applicable local deadline.
On Sept. 14, the Supreme Court declined to let USPS enforce a rule targeting mail-in ballots. The rule followed a March executive order by President Donald Trump and would have tied ballot processing to state-provided voter lists and barcode requirements for outgoing and return envelopes. USPS later said it would not implement the measure.
The extra election-mail procedures are scheduled to begin Oct. 24.
