Published 11:20 IST, August 26th 2020
Three US states sue Trump administration over postal service slowdown ahead of polls
Three US states sued the Trump administration for allegedly undermining the presidential elections scheduled in November by introducing new policies.
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Three US states sued the Trump administration for allegedly undermining the presidential elections scheduled in November by introducing new policies. The US states of New York, New Jersey and Hawaii filed lawsuits against the federal government for alleged "partisan meddling" intended to slow down the delivery of postal ballots ahead of the elections.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said that the “authoritarian actions” are jeopardising the democracy as well as the immediate health and financial well-being of Americans across the nation. Taking to Twitter, James said that the disruptions could significantly undermine the Postal Service’s ability to handle mail-in ballots.
This slowdown is nothing more than a voter suppression tactic, and we will do everything in our power to put a stop to the president's power grab and ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot come November.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) August 25, 2020
A large number of voters are expected to use the postal ballot in the presidential elections due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. GOP has been opposing mail-in ballots because more registered Democrats have requested for postal ballots than registered Republicans for the upcoming elections.
Top Democrats including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused DeJoy, a Trump mega-donor, of acting as an accomplice in the President’s campaign to “cheat in the election” with sweeping operational changes, degrading delivery standards and delaying the mail.
Reforms suspended
The 63-year-old Republican fundraiser has now said that the Postal Service is ready to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives this fall. DeJoy stated it will deliver the nation’s election mail on time and within their well-established service standards even with the challenges of keeping employees and customers safe and healthy amid a pandemic.
DeJoy assured that retail hours at Post Offices will not change and mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain where they are. He further added that no mail processing facilities will be closed and the Postal Service will engage standby resources from October 1 in all areas of operations, including transportation, to satisfy any unforeseen demand.
11:20 IST, August 26th 2020