Hakeem Jeffries

There is overwhelming evidence that Postmaster General DeJoy and the Board of Governors have hindered the passage of mail. At least 19 mail sorting machines, which can process 35,000 pieces of mail per hour, have been dismantled and over 671 are slated for reductions later this year. Postmaster DeJoy and the Board of Governors have also instituted “sweeping organizational and policy” changes that “have already delayed mail delivery by as much as a week in some places.” As a result, the U.S Postal Service warned 46 states that voters could be disenfranchised by delayed mail-in ballots. If Postmaster General DeJoy and/or the Board of Governors took these actions “for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” then they violated both 18 U.S.C. § Aaron Gordon, “The Post Office is deactivating mail sorting machines ahead of the election,” Vice, August 13, 2020; Aaron Holmes, “The USPS is shutting down mail-sorting machines crucial for processing absentee ballots as the 2020 election looms,” Business Insider, August 13, 2020; Curt Devine, Bob Ortega and Paul P. Murphy, “Postal Service removes some mail-sorting machines, sparking concerns ahead of election,” CNN, August 13, 2020. Erin Cox, Elise Viebeck, Jacob Bogage, and Christopher Ingraham, “Postal Service warns 46 states their voters could be disenfranchised by delayed mail-in ballots,” Washington Post, August 14, 2020. Id. 595 and 18 U.S.C. § 1701. Indeed, there is evidence that making mail-in balloting more difficult may be one of the motivations for the changes instituted at the Post Office.