Editing United States Postal Service (section)

=== Coronavirus pandemic and voting by mail ===
{{See also|2020 United States Postal Service crisis}}

Voting by mail has become an increasingly common practice in the United States, with 25% of voters nationwide mailing their ballots in 2016 and 2018. The [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|coronavirus pandemic]] of 2020 was predicted to cause a large increase in mail voting because of the possible danger of congregating at polling places.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/06/15/coronavirus-pandemic-makes-mail-voting-even-more-important-editorials-debates/5336826002/|title=Coronavirus makes voting by mail even more important|date=June 15, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816135016/https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/06/15/coronavirus-pandemic-makes-mail-voting-even-more-important-editorials-debates/5336826002/|url-status=live}}</ref> For the 2020 election, a state-by-state analysis concluded that 76% of Americans were eligible to vote by mail in 2020, a record number. The analysis predicted that 80 million ballots could be cast by mail in 2020 – more than double the number in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/11/us/politics/vote-by-mail-us-states.html|title=A Record 76% of Americans Can Vote by Mail in 2020|date=August 14, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816185758/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/11/us/politics/vote-by-mail-us-states.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Postal Service sent letters to 46 states in July 2020, warning that the service might not be able to meet each state's deadlines for requesting and casting last-minute absentee ballots.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/usps-warns-46-states-cannot-guarantee-mail-in-ballots-will-arrive-in-time-for-election|title=USPS warns 46 states it cannot guarantee mail-in ballots will arrive in time for election|last=Phillips|first=Morgan|date=August 14, 2020|work=[[Fox News]]|access-date=August 15, 2020|archive-date=August 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816235657/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/usps-warns-46-states-cannot-guarantee-mail-in-ballots-will-arrive-in-time-for-election|url-status=live}}</ref> The House of Representatives voted to include an emergency grant of $25 billion to the post office to facilitate the predicted flood of mail ballots,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/13/902109991/trump-admits-to-opposing-funding-for-postal-service-to-block-more-voting-by-mail|title=Trump Opposes Postal Service Funding But Says He'd Sign Bill Including It|last=Sprunt|first=Barbara|date=August 13, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=August 14, 2020|archive-date=August 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823073156/https://www.npr.org/2020/08/13/902109991/trump-admits-to-opposing-funding-for-postal-service-to-block-more-voting-by-mail|url-status=live}}</ref> but the bill never reached the Senate floor for a vote.<ref name=USCongress20>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4174 |title=S.4174 – Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act |date=July 2, 2020 |website=Congress.gov |access-date=December 6, 2021}}</ref><ref name=TCI21>{{cite news |last=Mazzenga |first=David |date=January 22, 2021 |title=Commissioners seek remedy to postal delays |url=https://www.tricountyindependent.com/story/news/2021/01/22/county-officials-ask-congress-solve-mail-delay/4173065001/ |work=Tri-County Independent |access-date=March 2, 2023}}</ref>

A March 2021 report from the Postal Service's inspector general found that the vast majority of mail-in ballots and registration materials in the 2020 election were delivered to the relevant authorities on time.<ref name=NPR21>{{cite news |last=Naylor |first=Brian |date=March 9, 2021 |title=Postal Service Delivered Vast Majority Of Mail Ballots On Time, Report Finds |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/03/09/975198962/postal-service-delivered-vast-majority-of-mail-ballots-on-time-report-finds |work=[[NPR]] |access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref><ref name=USPS21>{{cite web |url=https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2021/20-318-R21.pdf |title=Service Performance of Election and Political Mail During the November 2020 General Election |date=March 5, 2021 |website=USPS Office of Inspector General |access-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208214155/https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2021/20-318-R21.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Postal Service handled approximately 135 million pieces of election-related mail between September 1 and November 3, delivering 97.9% of ballots from voters to election officials within three days, and 99.89% of ballots within seven days.<ref name=NPR21/><ref name=AP22>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=July 28, 2022 |title=New USPS election division will oversee mail-in ballots |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-united-states-presidential-election-2020-294f320df8a6ff9451888ae2778b1a06 |work=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref>

====COVID-19 test kits to Americans====
{{ main | COVIDtests.gov }}

Postmaster General DeJoy helped the USPS deliver approximately 380 million home test kits from January 2022 through May 2022.<ref name="Time23">{{cite news |last=Cortelessa |first=Eric |date=March 16, 2023 |title=Louis DeJoy's Surprising Second Act |url=https://time.com/6263424/louis-dejoy-trump-election-postal-reform/ |work=Time Magazine |access-date=May 29, 2024}}</ref><ref name=FNN22>{{cite news |last=Heckman |first=Jory |date=May 30, 2022 |title=How USPS pulled off delivering 380 million COVID-19 tests |url=https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2022/05/we-rocked-it-how-usps-pulled-off-delivering-380-million-covid-19-tests/ |work=Federal News Network |access-date=May 29, 2024}}</ref> As of March 2024, when the program concluded, the USPS had delivered over 1.8 billion free COVID-19 test kits.<ref name=Hauari>{{Cite news| last = Hauari| first = Gabe| title = Free COVID tests: Why you can no longer order through government program via USPS delivery| work = USA Today| date = March 8, 2024| url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/03/08/covid-test-kits-free-government-program-usps-ends/72893381007/ |access-date=May 29, 2024}}</ref>

In September 2024, the distribution of free at-home COVID-19 tests was re-started.<ref>
{{cite news |last=Tyko |first=Kelly
|url=https://www.axios.com/2024/08/23/free-covid-test-kits-return-september-2024-usps
|title=Free at-home COVID test program to resume in September |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]] |date=2024-08-23 |access-date=2024-08-23
}}
</ref><ref>
[https://special.usps.com/testkits "Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests"].
</ref>