RICHMOND, Va. -- Election officials across the country, including Virginia, raised concerns with the U.S. Postal Service about the timely delivery of mail-in ballots ahead of the November election in a letter sent to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy earlier this month.
Virginia's Commissioner of Elections, Susan Beals, expressed her concern to lawmakers during a recent hearing at the Virginia State Capitol. Local registrars were having issues before last November's election, Beals said.
"The types of things that we're seeing are people who have lived in an address for a very long time, all of a sudden their address is being marked as undeliverable and their ballot or their mail is not reaching them, it's being sent back to the elections office," Beals said. "We also have heard stories of mail sitting in processing centers for an extensive amount of time."
DeJoy addressed these concerns at a news conference Thursday, expressing frustration with the criticism directed at the Postal Service and ensuring they are prepared to handle the expected increase in mail volume leading up to the Nov. 5 election.
DeJoy said that the Postal Service will collect and deliver mail more frequently and keep processing centers open on the Sunday before the election.
He recommended that voters mail their ballots at least seven days before the deadline to ensure they are counted. In Virginia, the deadline for ballots to be received is noon on the Friday after the election.
Beals remains hopeful that these measures will help, but she urges voters to be extra cautious this year. She advises voters to track their ballots after mailing them or consider dropping them off in person rather than relying on the mail.
Visit the CBS 6 2024 Virginia Voter Guide for detailed information on ways to cast your ballot and the races Virginians will be voting for this year.
