Postmaster Louis DeJoy Promises That Mail-In Votes Will Be Delivered ‘On-Time’

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy assured a Senate committee on Saturday that mail-in ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election will be delivered “on-time,” BBC News reported. The claim came after DeJoy faced harsh criticism for what some have called deliberate attempts to slow down the mail service ahead of the election, in which mail-in ballots are sure to be a major factor.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, DeJoy has made changes to the internal workings of the Post Office that include, among other things, new sorting and delivery policies, and ending overtime. Further, pictures have turned up on social media that purport to show mail-collection boxes being carried away, and sorting machines being dismantled.

At the same time, President Trump, who appointed DeJoy, has railed against expanding mail-in-voting, claiming, among other things, that it would lead to a fraudulent election. Further, the postal service itself has warned several states that the agency may not be equipped to handle the expected surge of mail-in ballots. Many states have enacted or expanded the voting process in order to allow voters to cast their ballots without having to physically go to the polls, in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Though the timing has been seen as suspect by some, DeJoy insisted that nothing untoward is happening. Specifically, he told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the changes were made based on a “data-driven” review of mail volume.

DeJoy also insisted that the changes will not affect the delivery of mail-in ballots.

“There have been no changes to any policies with regard to election mail. The postal service is fully capable and committed to delivering the nation’s election mail fully and on time,” he told the committee.

He also noted that he’s “extremely confident” that any mail-in ballot submitted seven days before Election Day will be delivered on time. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, so for ballots to arrive on time, based on DeJoy’s statement, they should be mailed by October 27.

During Saturday’s hearing, DeJoy denied he had spoken to the president about the changes, adding that he has voted via absentee ballot “for a number of years.” He called any suggestion that he’s trying to thwart the process “outrageous.”

On Tuesday DeJoy announced that he was suspending the operational changes made in the past few days in order to “avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail.”

Trump has also denied that he or DeJoy is tampering with the Post Office’s operations in order to undermine mail-in voting.