US polls 2020: Postal Service chief assures 'secure and timely' delivery of election mail

The United States Postal Service (USPS) chief Louis DeJoy on August 21 during a Senate hearing told politicians that he would deliver ballots securely and in time in the presidential poll scheduled for November 3. DeJoy during the hearing assured that the dramatic cost-cutting measures he had proposed will not delay mail ballots in November and that not a single vote will go uncounted. DeJoy had suspended those measures on August 18 following public outrage and increasing pressure from lawmakers. However, DeJoy indicated that he would go on with the proposed cost-cutting measures after the election is over because the changes are needed due to the loss in finances the USPS faced last year. 

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"To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded," DeJoy had said on Tuesday. DeJoy had proposed cuts in retail hours at Post Offices, removal of mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes, closure of mail processing facilities, and reduction in overtime. DeJoy had imposed those changes after he took over as postmaster in June this year. The changes had reportedly caused massive delays in the delivery of mails across the country. DeJoy had urged lawmakers to decrease retirement costs and increase prices to cope up with the losses incurred. According to DeJoy, USPS suffered nearly $10 billion in loss amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

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Quantity, not a problem

DeJoy further assured the Senate that the increase in quantity would not be a problem because the USPS handles more during Christmas and Mother's Day. DeJoy, an American businessman, who is also a Republican and Trump donor was questioned at the upper house of the US Congress as some accused him of trying to force election result in the current president's favour by imposing dramatic changes. DeJoy is due to testify in the House of Representatives on August 24. 

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(Image Credit: AP)