A U.S. District Judge has ordered that the USPS conduct a sweep of several mail sorting facilities on Tuesday to ensure that all mail-in ballots will be promptly delivered to state election boards.
According to The Hill and The Daily Beast, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of U.S. District Court for D.C. ordered that the USPS conduct sweeps at select mail sorting facilities between 12:30 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET to ensure “no ballots have been held up.” Any ballots discovered in the sweet are to be immediately sent to election officials in the state.
Sullivan’s ruling comes after record numbers of Americans participated in early and mail-in voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recent months, the USPS has come under criticism for attempting to implement policy changes that would lead to slower mail delivery. While Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has said those changes won’t take place until after the election, reports indicate that USPS’ on-time delivery of election material has dropped in the final days of voting.