Central Missouri News

U.S. Congressman Mark Alford has addressed a letter to U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, expressing serious concerns over reports of disenfranchisement among service members stationed overseas due to delays in ballot delivery by the USPS.

Alford emphasized the importance of voting as a fundamental right for all Americans and urged the USPS to take immediate action to resolve these issues, ensuring that no service members are deprived of their Constitutional right to vote.

"Election integrity is a key pillar in our democracy, and any actions that undermine free and fair elections are completely unacceptable," stated Congressman Alford. "The right to vote is a fundamental right for all Americans, enshrined in the United States Constitution. It is deeply concerning that members of our Armed Services stationed abroad could potentially be denied this right due to USPS errors."

He further expressed his concern about how the USPS plans to enable soldiers, sailors, and airmen stationed abroad to exercise their voting rights with Election Day approaching. "The failure to meet the Congressionally mandated six-day delivery windows is troubling, and it poses a significant disservice to any Service Member whose vote is not counted," he added.

In his communication, Alford criticized what he termed as an unacceptable situation where USPS has failed its duty. He stated: "There is no excuse for something as egregious as a failure to deliver our service members’ ballots. It is clear the USPS must take urgent measures to address this issue, and prevent it from worsening."

The letter also acknowledged staffing shortages cited by USPS but stressed there should be no excuses for failing service members regarding ballot delivery.

Alford concluded by seeking specific strategies from USPS on how they plan to assist service members abroad in voting and ensure timely processing of military ballots.