Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is more than ready to handle the expected surge in mail-in ballots cast in the November general election.
DeJoy testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affair Committee on Friday morning that there have been no changes in policies regarding the handling of election mail.
“As we head into the election season, I want to assure this committee and the American public that the Postal Service is fully capable and committed to delivering the nation’s election mail securely and on-time. This sacred duty is my number one priority between now and Election Day,” DeJoy said.
“There has been no changes in any policies with regard to election mail for the 2020 election,” he added.Â
DeJoy was also asked about a letter sent out by the Postal Service’s General Counsel Thomas J. Marshall that said the agency could not guarantee that all the ballots cast by mail would be delivered on time.
He said, “This letter was sent out before my arrival simply to help educate state election boards, and eventually the American people. There was a plan put together to eventually make this a broader statement, so the American people had awareness on how to successfully vote.”
This is not the first time the Postal Service has issued such a warning, according to DeJoy, who said the agency sent out a similar letter ahead of the 2016 election.
Watch his testimony below:
Additionally, he sought to assure Congress and the American people that the Postal Service will be able to handle the expected surge in mail-in ballots.
“We deliver 433 million pieces of mail a day, so 150 million ballots, 160 million ballots over the course of a week is a very small amount — adequate capacity,” DeJoy said.
He also said the Postal Service would have “additional resources on standby.”
“If everyone complies with the mail process that we’ve been identifying, there will be absolutely no issue,” he added.
Congressional Democrats have raised concerns that President Donald Trump and DeJoy are trying to slow down the delivery of ballot to disenfranchise voters.
Lawmakers have pointed new organizational changes DeJoy announced that were aimed at cutting-costs, but which the Postal Service warned could lead to delays in mail delivery.
However, speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he had “encouraged everybody to speed up the mail, not slow the mail.”
Amid concerns about the changes, DeJoy said he would suspend implementing them until after the election to avoid “even the appearance of any impact on election mail.”
Still, Democrats are want to ensure that the Postal Service is prepared to deliver ballots on time. On Saturday, the House is expected to vote on a $25 billion bill to fund the agency and block DeJoy’s changes from going in effect.
