The should-be state of District of Columbia

2020 General Election Postal Service Delays

NAACP v. U.S. Postal Service

Lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of the NAACP against the U.S. Postal Service addressing vote by mail ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The complaint argues that the Postal Service made changes to the processing and delivery of election made in violation of federal procedures and these changes created widespread delays across the country, creating the possibility that election mail would be significantly impacted during the 2020 presidential election. Given that many people relied on voting by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the court granted a preliminary injunction that addressed some of the Postal Service’s problematic practices. This litigation also focused on ensuring ballots were received and counted after Election Day and for the Georgia Senate runoff elections in January 2021. In March 2021, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint to ensure that all of the changes the Postal Service made for the 2020 election cycle were implemented for future elections. Today, the parties announced an agreement that outlines actions the Postal Service will take to safeguard voting by mail in future elections. As part of this settlement, through 2028 the Postal Service will meet with the NAACP in the months leading up to all primary and general elections and provide status reports on service in the six weeks before and one week after an election. The Postal Service will also produce documents outlining how the organization will monitor and prioritize the delivery of election mail for every federal election cycle through 2028.

Case Documents

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