SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Two federal judges have ordered the United States Postal Service to continue to implement "extraordinary measures" to make sure ballots are delivered on-time before the presidential election.
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Postal Service to take "extraordinary measures" to deliver ballots in time to be counted in Wisconsin and around Detroit, including using a priority mail service.
Chief U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima, Washington, issued the order on Friday after being presented with data showing on-time delivery of ballots sent by voters were too slow in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin.
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson's office says delivery of ballots in the USPS Detroit district, for example, has dipped as low as 57% over the past week. National on-time delivery has been at 93% or higher.
This comes on the same day that U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan signed an order, which requires the USPS to use the Express Mail network to make sure ballots are "entered close to or on Election Day to their intended destination," CNN reported.
In a statement on Friday, the USPS outlined its "extraordinary measures" local post offices would take to accelerate ballots' delivery.
CNN reported that processing plant managers send ballots and all local ballots to the provincial election or post office by 10 a.m. Monday and Tuesday by using Express Mail.
Reuters reported that local ballots must be processed and delivered to regional post offices the day they arrive or the next morning until Nov. 7.