The U.S. Postal Service’s ability to handle mail ballots effectively is under scrutiny following a recent audit that identified several concerning issues. As the Supreme Court weighs new voting rules proposed by President Donald Trump, the findings raise questions about the agency’s preparedness for the upcoming November election.
The audit, released on September 4 but not previously reported, found that many USPS facilities lacked proper training for handling mail ballots. This led to tracking deficiencies, processing errors, and potential delays that could result in ballots being rejected due to incorrect postmarks or late arrivals.
Key findings from the USPS audit
The audit visited 14 processing facilities and 73 delivery units across eight states, revealing several critical issues. Notably, 22 of the 73 delivery units had no election-related training materials posted. In some locations, management and employees were unfamiliar with the requirements for processing election mail.
One of the most concerning findings was that in 10 of the 82 facilities, management was unaware of the proper way to postmark ballots. This is particularly crucial in 14 states and Washington, D.C., where ballots are only counted if they are postmarked by Election Day. The audit also found that retail clerks at five of nine mail processing facilities sometimes used stamps with inaccurate dates, leading to incorrect postmarks.
Additionally, the audit discovered that in 13 of the 82 facilities, Postal Service workers did not complete proper procedures to ensure election mail had been sent out each day. In one instance, 108 ballots had to be expedited to Pittsburgh on the morning of the election to ensure they would count.
The impact of the audit findings
Despite these issues, the audit noted that nearly 99% of ballots reached election officials in a timely manner during the primaries, up from about 98% in 2024. However, election experts argue that the identified failures increase the risk of ballots not being handled, documented, monitored, and reported in accordance with USPS policy.
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election innovation and Research, stated that the audit confirms that USPS has ‘a long way to go to meet its core obligations of delivering election mail in a timely manner.’ He added that the administration and USPS are ‘incapable of successfully meeting vast and radical new responsibilities under the president’s executive order.’
The American Postal Workers Union also expressed concerns, filing a brief with the Supreme Court that highlighted the impracticality of implementing the new rules. They warned that the rules pose a ‘significant risk of wide swaths of Americans not being able to vote by mail.’
Supreme Court considers new voting rules
The audit findings come as the Supreme Court considers whether to allow the USPS to move ahead with new rules that would regulate mail voting. These rules, outlined in a March executive order signed by President Trump, require states to provide USPS with a list of all voters eligible to receive a ballot in the mail. USPS would then use these lists to determine which ballots get sent to voters.
Top USPS employees and a whistleblower who filed a disclosure with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal have expressed concerns that the new system could disenfranchise large numbers of eligible voters due to its design and lack of testing.
Chelsey Wininger, executive director of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, emphasized that the audit shows the USPS ‘struggles to implement even basic changes to postal process consistently.’ She reinforced the organization’s opposition to any new rules this close to an election.
The USPS responded to the audit by acknowledging that there are instances where employees didn’t follow policies and procedures. However, they described other errors as ‘isolated incidents’ and stated that The agency agreed with all recommendations except one that suggested promptly notifying customers impacted by new regional transportation plans.
As the November election approaches, the audit’s findings and the Supreme Court’s decision on the new voting rules will have significant implications for mail voting across the country.
