WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Top officials at the U.S. Postal Service are urging voters to mail in their ballots at least one week before Election Day.
The message was a central part of the agency’s Wednesday press conference. Officials updated the public on its election season operations and pushed back against concerns USPS is unable to handle an influx of mail-in ballots.
The National Association of Secretaries of State recently sent a letter to USPS on behalf of every state. The group outlined a series of operational errors spotted during the 2020 election, including ballot delivery delays and undelivered ballots.
Adrienne Marshall, Director of Election and Government Mail Services, told reporters that USPS is in close contact with election authorities in every state to spot and fix any issues that arise.
That includes in critical swing state Pennsylvania where, by law, election officials cannot begin counting mail-in ballots until Election Day.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt confirms USPS is working closely with county election officials across his state to ensure mail in ballots are prioritized and clearly marked.
“We worked closely with them to make sure that it is separate and distinct from other mail, so that it can be easily identified to moving through the postal stream,” says Schmidt.
Monday, Oct. 21st USPS rolled out its “extraordinary measures” to ensure ballots are delivered before each state’s election deadlines. Those measures include extended office hours, additional pick-ups and special lines for drop-offs at stores.