MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — With a record number of people across the country voting by mail, postal workers spoke to WUSA 9 on Tuesday about how mailing centers have put a priority on making sure ballots arrive safely and on time to election offices.
From the beginning of September through mid-October, the United States Postal Service (USPS) said it processed 523 million pieces of election mail. According to the agency's website, "election mail" refers to items like ballots, voter registration cards, absentee voting applications and polling place notifications.
Across the country, USPS added that over 100 million ballots have been delivered from election offices to voters and vice versa.
Despite the increased load for voting season, USPS said election mail was anticipated to account for less than two percent of the total mail volume from September to Election Day.
Nannette Corley, who serves as the president of American Postal Workers Union Local 3630 in Montgomery County and works at the Suburban Maryland Processing & Distribution Center in Gaithersburg, said she and fellow mail workers have been prepared to handle the ballots this year.
"We’re working the election mail the same way we’ve been working it every time," she said. "The mail is coming to the plant and the mail is getting out.”
Due to the spread of coronavirus, more voters are depending on mail ballots to cast their vote this year. Ahead of Election Day, some have expressed worry about issues that could arise with mailing in their ballots, from delays to possible mail fraud.
Hoping to ease voters' minds, Corley said postal workers separate ballots from other mail and have put a priority on making sure they arrive on time to election offices.
"They have someone to meet that mail on the dock," Corley sad. "They follow it through to the machine and once it gets to the machine, the employee gets it in the tray and they send it out to the next point of contact. Once it gets off the machine, they make sure it hits the street the next morning as opposed to two or three days.”
In response to this story, the USPS told WUSA 9 its biggest focus for election season was making sure Election Mail arrived safely and on time.
"The U.S. Postal Service’s number one priority between now and the November election is the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail," a statement from the agency read. "USPS continues to process historic volume of political and election mail this season. The 630,000 women and men of the Postal Service are deeply committed to our longstanding role in the electoral process, and we are actively working to deliver in this election season.”
Moving forward, Nannette Corley hoped voters would feel confident sending their ballots through the mail.
"If you’ve been in the post office for a long period of time, postal workers take pride in what they do," she said. "They love their job.”
In D.C., ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day, November 3rd, and must arrive no later than the 10th day after the election, November 13th.
In Maryland, ballots must be dropped off or postmarked by Election Day.
And in Virginia, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day at 7pm and must arrive by noon on November 6th.
According to The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), the number one reason why a mailed ballot gets rejected is because it was never signed.