Auditors: The USPS processed and tracked service performance for 59.4 million pieces of Ballot Mail with an on-time score of 97.3 percent, well above targets. Image: Trevor Bexon/Shutterstock.com
The Postal Service “significantly exceeded service performance goals” for election-related mail during the 2024 cycle, an inspector general report has said regarding one of the most closely-watched and politically sensitive aspects of USPS operations in recent years.
Over September 1-November 15, the USPS processed and tracked service performance for 59.4 million pieces of Ballot Mail—both going out to voters and coming back—“with an overall on-time score of 97.3 percent, well above targets” of 88 percent on-time delivery for first-class and 94 percent for marketing mail. The result was about the same for the 1.5 billion pieces of Political Mail—mail sent for campaign purposes by candidates and others—sent during that time, with 97.2 percent on-time delivery compared with the same targets.
“In fact, we found the Postal Service provided service above rates charged for certain ballots and late arriving Political Mail,” auditors said. “The Postal Service could have potentially received $15.4 million more in revenue if it charged rates in line with the service provided on these ballots.”
Among other steps, auditors conducted observations at 68 mail processing facilities and 947 delivery units across all states. “We saw the Postal Service used extra efforts to deliver late arriving Political Mail before the election,” including at two facilities that processed on the same day tens of thousands of pieces of late-arriving Political Mail—in one case the afternoon before the election and in the other the morning of the election.
“When we observed non-compliance with Election and Political Mail policies and procedures, we found it was caused by confusion in the field over new, electronic processes or temporary changes in the mail flow due to the election. We did not see widespread instances of delayed Election or Political Mail in delivery units before or after the election,” the report said.
The report said that there is room for improvement in tracking such mail, however; for example, some 40 million ballots sent to and from voters did not have performance tracking data.
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