Pennsylvania voters concerned with mail delivery delays leading up to election
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — With the election right around the corner, some Pennsylvania residents are concerned with how mail delivery delays could impact mail-in ballots.
Heather Snyder, a Carlisle resident, said she waited about two weeks to get her mail delivered, and even when she did receive it, was still missing mail.
"It's not fair to anyone to not be able to get what they need," she said.
My first thoughts were ballots, my second thought was people’s checks, people who still get paper bills," Snyder added. "You've got elderly and disabled [people] who can’t go to the post office, who can’t get in line to vote. They count on those ballots."
Snyder said at one point when she tried to pick up her mail, she was told she would have to wait.
It's not the first time there have been delivery delays in the area. In Oct. of 2021, state Rep. Barb Gleim posted to Facebook about post office delays.
Election Day is right around the corner. In Pennsylvania, Democratic nominee and current Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is competing against Republican celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz in a closely-watched Senate race.
A spokesperson for USPS released this statement:
"Regarding service in the Carlisle area, we are experiencing some delays due to employee availability. We are utilizing all available resources currently, including bringing in additional employees from outside areas to assist with mail delivery. The Postal Service continues to sort and deliver ballots as they are presented to us. Additionally, we are in the process of aggressively recruiting, evaluating, and hiring qualified candidates for vacancies in the area with postings on our website at usps.com/careers. We regret any inconvenience to our customers at this time."
Additionally, there have been occasional impacts to mail deliveries in Steelton, also due to employee availability challenges.
To make sure deliveries are made on time, USPS is authorizing overtime; expanding mail deliveries to earlier in the morning, later in the evening and on Sundays; hiring additional employees, and using additional carriers from other offices.
