Six states & DC sue US Postal Service over changes as its chief insists election mail will be handled ‘securely and on time’

Several states have sued the US Postal Service and its new boss, alleging that recent service changes have harmed their ability to conduct free and fair elections. The postal chief, however, insists the vote will not be disrupted.

The lawsuit against the USPS and the US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was filed by the state of Pennsylvania on Friday. It was joined by California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and the District of Columbia.

“To the Trump Administration, delivering your paycheck, medication or ballot is a joke but there's nothing funny about the wages you earn, your health, or right to vote. That’s why today we’re standing with Pennsylvania and other states, taking the Postmaster General to court,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said.

DeJoy took the reins at the Postal Service back in June and immediately launched a series of reforms, consisting primarily of cost-cutting moves. The measures included banning overtime and extra trips to deliver mail, as well as a reshuffle of senior USPS officials.

The changes resulted in widespread mail service delays and have prompted allegations that the reforms were actually a plot to jeopardize mail voting - particularly important amid the coronavirus pandemic - in the upcoming presidential election. The critics also cited the strong Republican connections of DeJoy, suggesting that his policies were in line with Donald Trump’s stance on mail voting. The US President has repeatedly criticized the mail voting system, claiming that it was particularly susceptible to fraud.

Facing mounting pressure, the USPS suspended its reforms this week, stating the changes will go through after the November election.

On Friday, DeJoy appeared before US lawmakers, defending the upcoming changes and assuring the public that ballots would be handled "securely and on time."

“The American people should feel comfortable that the Postal Service will deliver on this election,” DeJoy told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

The USPS will deliver at least 95 percent of election mail within three days, like it did in the 2018 congressional ballot, DeJoy said. To further reinforce his statement, the postal boss revealed that he will personally vote by mail.

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