PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The U.S. Postal Service said they will be ready to handle mail-in ballots despite concerns from officials across the country with the presidential election just under seven weeks away.
On Sept. 11, the National Association of State Election Directors and the National Association of Secretaries of State sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
That letter, which was written to represent elections officials in all 50 states, claims there has been inconsistent training within USPS, exceptionally long delivery times, and a jump in mail returned as undeliverable.
Read the full letter from the National Association of State Election Directors & National Association of Secretaries of State below:
Then, earlier this week, DeJoy responded.
In his own letter, released this Monday, he claims USPS is in fact ready for November, training has been beefed up, and USPS is in constant contact with local officials.
We know how important it is for you to know your vote counts, so WPTV reporter Victor Jorges looked into this and got answers.
Jorges spoke to Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link.
When WPTV spoke to her, Sartory Link shared she was not aware of conversations that led Florida's Supervisor of Elections Travis Hart to sign the original letter to DeJoy but did say that voters in Palm Beach County had expressed frustrations with USPS.
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"We sent out [ballots to a] husband and wife, for example, at the same time and one spouse got it, the other one didn't," Sartory Link said.
She said all voters who choose to cast their ballot by mail can track their progress using the free BallotTrax system.
Once you register, you'll get notified when your ballot has been shipped, delivered, and received.
"If voters will do that, then I think that can sort of counteract any concerns they have with the post office because they'll know and they'll have plenty of time to address it," Sartory Link said.
She also mentioned a decrease in registered voters who want to vote by mail.
Sartory Link said a recent change in state law requires residents to re-register or re-request their mail-in ballot.
