![]() This data has been described by one former FBI agent as “easily abused” and a “treasure trove.” In comparing mail covers to the National Security Agency surveillance exposed during the Edward Snowden scandal, the renowned security technologist Bruce Schneier once called them “basically … the same thing.” And the information obtained from these photos, such as religious and political affiliations, is more intimate than people may realize. ![]() In the US, the exterior of every piece of mail is photographed. You have to have faith in the team, that they’re going to give it everything they have.The notion that only a mail carrier will view a piece of mail is based on a quainter understanding of the mail handling process a Norman Rockwell view of what a modern postal delivery system entails. You have to play the game and run the plays. We want every ballot put in possession of the Postal Service to be properly handled and delivered on time,’” Seaver said. “Someone asked a question, ‘What are you nervous about?’ And we stared at them and said, ‘We’re nervous about everything! We want to do everything right. They recommend that people who hold a mail-in ballot either use a ballot drop box, deliver it to a polling place, or vote provisionally in person.Īt Friday’s hearing, Seaver wouldn’t say for sure whether she agrees with that assessment, but she did say getting ballots delivered on time was the agency’s main priority. The USPS warned most states this summer that ballots should be mailed no later than one week before Election Day, which is now just four days away election analysts say that it is now too late to vote by mail in most places. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh made a similar order regarding mail ballots in Wisconsin earlier this week, in which he declined to extend the deadline by which ballots must be received the deadline extension in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, however, was upheld by the court. 3 might not be counted, which could mean that some ballots already in the mail won’t arrive in time and will be set aside and invalidated. This is particularly concerning for voters in states like Minnesota, where a court ruled Thursday that ballots received after Nov. ![]() Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels. If you have a news tip, we’d like to hear from you. While DeJoy has said those cost-cutting measures were suspended through Election Day, the Postal Service’s performance has continued to struggle under the weight of understaffing, high parcel volume, and the crush of political mail. ![]() The Postal Service's Office of Inspector General is also fielding complaints.Ĭoncerns about the ability of the USPS to handle the influx of election mail during a pandemic have been playing out in a federal courtroom in Washington, DC, since August, when voting advocates filed a lawsuit alleging that procedural changes initiated by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee, threatened the agency’s capability to deliver ballots on time. Seaver said the agency is currently investigating the issue, and that people who see potential issues with election mail should call the postal hotline. Calling an audible at this point is pretty high risk for us.”ĭuring Friday’s hearing, Sullivan said the court has been overwhelmed by voicemails from people concerned about specific mail delay issues, including messages referencing a viral video of apparently abandoned mail in a post office in Miami-Dade County. “What the team is focused on is executing the plan - and if we do that well, we’ll serve the American people well. “It is a significant undertaking when you’re dealing with 30,000 units, over 400,000 employees, five collective bargaining unit agreements,” she continued. Still, the agency denied in court that any “additional relief is necessary” to ensure that ballots are delivered on time.Īsked at a status hearing on Friday afternoon about whether the Postal Service can handle changes to its procedure this late in the game, the agency's executive vice president, Kristin Seaver, said, “The train has left the station, and we are in hyperfocus on executing the plan.” The order comes after the USPS released data to the court showing a growing struggle to deliver mail on time in 10 states.
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