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sabra

(30,406 posts)
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 03:21 PM Dec 2020

Postal Service Delays Disenfranchised Thousands of Legally-Cast Ballots This Fall

Source: NBC Washington

US Postal Service workers likely delivered more than 99.9% of the nation’s mail ballots in-time to be counted this year, despite record participation and unprecedented pandemic-related challenges. However, it also appears the USPS disenfranchised tens of thousands of voters – who mailed legally-cast ballots the week before the election - through substandard performance.

...

NBCLX analyzed election records - as well as postal records obtained through federal court filings - to find out how many ballots, cast the week before the election, were ultimately rejected.

Because each state collects ballot statistics differently, it’s impossible to know exactly how many ballots arrived after state deadlines or how many of those were due to USPS delays. But records indicate the figure is likely no more than a few thousand votes in any given state – not enough to change the results of a single battleground in 2020.

“All of us, I think, stopped a true disaster from happening,” said Remy Green, a New York attorney who sued President Trump, Postmaster DeJoy, and the USPS over delays this summer. “This could have been so much worse.”

Read more: https://www.nbcwashington.com/lx/postal-service-delays-disenfranchised-thousands-of-legally-cast-ballots-this-fall/2495351/?_osource=db_npd_nbc_wrc_twt_shr

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Postal Service Delays Disenfranchised Thousands of Legally-Cast Ballots This Fall (Original Post) sabra Dec 2020 OP
which is what the Republicans wanted it to do Stargleamer Dec 2020 #1
and there's one reason why down-ballot dems didn't do as well as Biden. nt wiggs Dec 2020 #2
Dejoy needs to be charged &locked up!! onetexan Dec 2020 #3
They need to analyze the down ballot races that were close as well as the Presidential election karynnj Dec 2020 #4
good point.... motherfuckers LymphocyteLover Dec 2020 #9
Yes, IA by 6 and NY by 12 DallasNE Dec 2020 #21
Blatant election interference. halfulglas Dec 2020 #5
The tRump-DeJoy pre-planned and purposeful delay got caught too soon. IllinoisBirdWatcher Dec 2020 #6
45 has been spoiled over the years by having employees who are easily cowed by threats truthisfreedom Dec 2020 #10
Absolutely. Thanks for posting. N/T IllinoisBirdWatcher Dec 2020 #13
x1000 Evolve Dammit Dec 2020 #14
Thank you, Postal Workers! electric_blue68 Dec 2020 #16
Sound to me like USPS did its job. Anyone mailing in a ballot within a week of the election, wasn't Hoyt Dec 2020 #7
Yes. The sabotage of the USPS failed in its goal. 11cents Dec 2020 #8
DeJoy's sabotage was undermined by the Deep State* JustABozoOnThisBus Dec 2020 #11
Maybe some disenfranchised voter will file a law suit. sinkingfeeling Dec 2020 #12
This is why I think Thump thinks he won. He thought the fix was in via the USPS flibbitygiblets Dec 2020 #15
a good theory. electric_blue68 Dec 2020 #19
Since PA had been subject to multiple bogus lawsuits BumRushDaShow Dec 2020 #17
I believe those late mailed ballots were counted FakeNoose Dec 2020 #25
Nope. "Scalito" torpedoed that! BumRushDaShow Dec 2020 #26
Wouldn't you all love to know the real numbers if all these votes had been counted. Marie Marie Dec 2020 #18
But Those Number Are Large Enough DallasNE Dec 2020 #20
But I thought they wanted to choie Dec 2020 #22
Why would anyone wait that long to mail it in? Polybius Dec 2020 #23
This message was self-deleted by its author maxsolomon Dec 2020 #24

Stargleamer

(2,328 posts)
1. which is what the Republicans wanted it to do
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 03:23 PM
Dec 2020

as they try to suppress as much of the vote as they can

karynnj

(60,089 posts)
4. They need to analyze the down ballot races that were close as well as the Presidential election
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 03:31 PM
Dec 2020

While no state's Presidential result would have changed per their analysis, could any very close Congressional result have changed? Isn't their an Iowa seat that was lost by 6 votes? I realize the numbers at the district level are smaller than the numbers at the state level, but some of those races were far closer.

Other than that, I agree with Remy Green that without the pushback and the HUGE effort to get the votes mailed very early, it could have been worse. The VERY fact that this was done to help Trump is something that needs to stand as the terrible partisan action of someone who should have been working for the country's good - not Trump's.

DallasNE

(7,652 posts)
21. Yes, IA by 6 and NY by 12
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 08:32 PM
Dec 2020

And there were court ordered sweeps of USPS facilities that turned up tens of thousands of ballots that would not have gotten counted without the sweeps. The fraud that there was was nearly all right wing fraud that hurt Democrats.

IllinoisBirdWatcher

(2,316 posts)
6. The tRump-DeJoy pre-planned and purposeful delay got caught too soon.
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 03:38 PM
Dec 2020

They didn't factor in the patriotism of USPS employees who went public early. When Dumpster Donnie was urging his followers NOT to use safe mail-in ballots. Instead he told his voters to go out during a pandemic and stand in line for hours.

All that time, Dumpster Donnie knew that the criminal, unwarranted, unannounced secret slowdown was happening. Thank patriotic USPS workers for blowing the whistle. It was a foolproof plan, but as with all Dumpster Donnie plans, it was poorly implemented.

Congress should investigate.

truthisfreedom

(23,346 posts)
10. 45 has been spoiled over the years by having employees who are easily cowed by threats
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 03:51 PM
Dec 2020

He couldn't threaten the postal workers because there's far too many and the chain of command is far too complex compared to his real estate business. They turned on him, knowing that he was f*cking America over, and their patriotism should be rewarded.

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
7. Sound to me like USPS did its job. Anyone mailing in a ballot within a week of the election, wasn't
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 03:38 PM
Dec 2020

paying attention.

99.9% received in time. Name one organization that achieves that, in a pandemic for Christ's sake.

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,932 posts)
11. DeJoy's sabotage was undermined by the Deep State*
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 04:05 PM
Dec 2020

* - in this case, the Deep State is the legions of capable, dedicated postal workers who moved the mail regardless of political theater and executive vandalism.

Darn them to heck.

flibbitygiblets

(7,220 posts)
15. This is why I think Thump thinks he won. He thought the fix was in via the USPS
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 05:20 PM
Dec 2020

Imagine if the shoe had been on the other foot The teeth-gnashing and howling on the part of the whiny, self-centered Republicans could be heard from space.

BumRushDaShow

(146,662 posts)
17. Since PA had been subject to multiple bogus lawsuits
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 07:02 PM
Dec 2020

they actually had identified about 10,000 ballots that came between Nov. 3 and Nov. 6 and were not counted.

FakeNoose

(36,478 posts)
25. I believe those late mailed ballots were counted
Fri Dec 4, 2020, 12:43 PM
Dec 2020

There's a PA Supreme Court ruling that the "late" ballots - mailed by November 3rd but delivered as late as November 6 - were to be included in the overall vote counts. It's one of the main reasons why our PA election results were reported later, because of those mailed ballots that got delayed in delivery.

In some cases the Postal Service is to blame for delays. In others, it's the fault of the voters (signature errors etc.) or other reasons. Those votes were counted by each County Election Board.

Any ballots that came after November 6th were not counted.


BumRushDaShow

(146,662 posts)
26. Nope. "Scalito" torpedoed that!
Fri Dec 4, 2020, 01:26 PM
Dec 2020

(that name still cracks me up )

https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/alito-orders-segregation-of-some-pennsylvania-ballots-even-asgop-lawsuits-see-little-success

When you look at the state's election site, there is a banner - https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/

These vote totals do not include any votes from mail ballots received between 8 p.m. on election day and 5 p.m. the following Friday.


The SCOTUS left that hanging out there and hasn't lifted that order. The "official" certification went forward without those votes.

(I think in the running count, that might be the "1" in the "1 - 40" cases lost by 45)

Marie Marie

(10,048 posts)
18. Wouldn't you all love to know the real numbers if all these votes had been counted.
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 07:03 PM
Dec 2020

Especially since the Dems were more likely to have voted by mail.

DallasNE

(7,652 posts)
20. But Those Number Are Large Enough
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 08:20 PM
Dec 2020

That it likely caused 4 Democrats to lose House races so it is still significant. I am talking about races where the margin was less than 400 votes and 1 in NY was 12 votes and 1 in IA was 6 votes.

Polybius

(19,036 posts)
23. Why would anyone wait that long to mail it in?
Thu Dec 3, 2020, 11:24 PM
Dec 2020

If it's the Friday before the election and you still haven't voted yet, at that point the smart thing to do is vote in person.

Response to sabra (Original post)

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