Democrats, media starting to admit some mail-in voting problems ahead of 2024

Democrats and the media are finally acknowledging there are some issues with mail-in voting ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

As mail-in voting has increased since the 2020 presidential election during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Democrats have advocated for it as an easier method of voting. However, as USPS has experienced delivery issues and ballot harvesting has led to at least one "redo" election, some Democrats and media are noting the issues with the voting method.

USPS started using a new distribution system last year, which appears to have contributed to delays in mail delivery. This can affect the delivery of mail-in ballots both to voters and back to election departments, about which officials have warned both USPS and voters.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy regarding the delivery issues impacting elections, noting that “The nature of USPS’s network changes has now raised significant concerns including the potential for degraded rural service due to fewer facilities, delayed delivery of election mail that would be processed at out-of-state facilities, and critical health information such as laboratory tests not being processed same-day due to decreased transportation trips. These changes and lack of transparency have also caused concerns for other Members of Congress, who have asked for similar information and received insufficient responses.”

In February, general registrar in Richmond, Virginia told voters ahead of the March primary election to drop off their mail-in ballots in ballot drop boxes, rather than sending them through USPS.

“The reports we’ve been receiving about delayed, misplaced, or even missing mail are deeply troubling, especially as we approach crucial electoral events like the Presidential Election in November,” Richmond General Registrar Keith Balmer wrote in a blog post shared on the election office's X account (formerly Twitter).