WASHINGTON, DC — As part of the ongoing preparations by the United States Postal Service for the November election, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requested the issuance of an internal directive to authorize and instruct the use of additional resources to satisfy any unforeseen demand and ensure that all Election Mail is prioritized and delivered securely and on time. The directive is in response to the Postmaster General’s commitment made in August to engage standby resources in all areas of operations beginning Oct. 1, 2020.

“The U.S. Postal Service’s number one priority between now and the November election is the secure, on-time delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. The Postal Service, our unions, and the more than 630,000 postal employees are united in delivering on this sacred duty,” said Postmaster General DeJoy. “These actions ensure additional resources will be made available as needed to handle whatever volume of Election Mail we receive.”

The directive, issued on Sept. 25, authorizes and instructs the use of additional resources beginning on Oct. 1 by local teams including District Managers, Postmasters, Division Directors and Plant Managers across all areas of operations. These additional resources include, but are not limited to, expanded processing procedures, extra transportation, extra delivery and collection trips and overtime to ensure that Election Mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner. These additional resources go beyond the significant resources already dedicated to Election Mail which were specified in an earlier directive issued on Sept. 21, and a stand-up talk to Postal Service employees issued on Sept. 24.

A fact sheet outlining operational readiness measures the Postal Service has implemented related to Election Mail can be found at about.usps.com/newsroom/statements/100120-usps-election-mail-preparedness-efforts-fact-sheet.pdf