USPS denies rate boost for election mail

By Bill McAllister, Washington Correspondent

The United States Postal Service is denying social media reports that it is boosting postage rates on election mail.

Spokesman David Partenheimer told Linn’s Stamp News that the USPS “for years” has urged election officials to use first-class mail for mailing ballots to voters.

Some social media outlets have expressed a belief that recent messaging from the Postal Service reinforcing the agency’s preference for first-class mail is an effort to block election officials from using cheaper bulk-rate mail.

“Using marketing mail will result in slower delivery times and will increase the risk that voters will not receive their ballots in time to return them by mail,” Partenheimer said.

Election officials can use marketing mail if they wish to deliver ballots, but they should realize it will be slower than first class, he said.

Most marketing mail is delivered within three to 10 days, while first-class mail has a delivery standard of two to five days, he said.

“To ensure that voters who wish to use the mail to vote can do so successfully, it is critical that election officials and voters are mindful of the time that it takes for us to deliver ballots,” Partenheimer said.

He said the Postal Service urges the use of election-day logos and tags on ballot mail, but said that the use of logos and tags will not upgrade marketing mail to first-class mail.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked voting by mail, saying it is subject to massive fraud.

New Postmaster General Lois DeJoy, a Trump financial supporter, has promised the Postal Service will deliver all election mail “in a timely manner consistent with our operational standards.”

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