Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) is demanding answers after a constituent service member stationed abroad reported that the United States Postal Service (USPS) failed to deliver his ballot in a timely manner.
Alford sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy with “deep concerns” that service members stationed abroad are being “disenfranchised” by the USPS failing to deliver ballots on time.
“Election integrity is a key pillar in our democracy, and any actions that undermine free and fair elections are completely unacceptable,” his letter, obtained by Breitbart News, reads.
Alford asked DeJoy for information on specific strategies the USPS is implementing to assist service members abroad in voting as well as measures being taken to ensure that military members’ ballots are processed in a timely manner.
“The right to vote is a fundamental right for all Americans, enshrined in the United States Constitution,” Alford continues. “It is deeply concerning that members of our Armed Services stationed abroad could potentially be denied this right due to USPS errors.”
His letter says USPS’s failure to meet the congressionally mandated six-day delivery window “poses a significant disservice to any Service Member whose vote is not counted. The current situation is unacceptable and the USPS’s inability to fulfill their duty is worrying.”
The Postal Service has come under scrutiny for its handling of ballots as more voters choose to vote by mail. USPS issued a release Monday touting its ability to meet or exceed its 2020 general election performance but encouraging voters choosing to mail in their ballot to do so soon.
Excuses won’t cut it on something as fundamentally important as voting, particularly when it comes to the voting rights of our service members, Alford writes.
“I understand the USPS has attributed recent mail delays to major staffing shortages, an issue affecting various businesses nationwide,” his letter reads. “While I recognize the dedication of postal workers and mail carriers, there is no excuse for something as egregious as a failure to deliver ballots to our servicemembers. It is clear the USPS must take urgent measures to address this issue, and to prevent it from worsening.
“We cannot deny our servicemembers this Constitutional right, and it is your duty to ensure this does not continue,” he wrote DeJoy.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.