United States Postal Service

Local customers say they didn’t receive notice of the change before enrolling

The U.S. Postal Service has an answer at the very top of its official tracking page. A disclaimer there notes the system is "experiencing unprecedented volume increases and limited employee availability due to the impacts of COVID-19." That combination is making it tough on those at the other end of the mailbox.

The move by the USPS prompted a scramble by county auditors who run elections in their counties and the Washington Secretary of State’s office, which oversees elections statewide, to put out public messages to clarify the process.

The agency serves areas where private carriers won't go. And in those remote communities, which helped elect the president, the Postal Service can be seen as a lifeline as well as a human connection.

The U.S. Postal Service has suffered from financial problems for years, but Louis DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser, chose this summer to cut some overtime, withdraw sorting machines and impose other operational changes that have effectively reduced the system's throughput.

Louis DeJoy, an ally of President Trump, has come under fire in recent weeks for what's viewed as directives to slow down USPS in order to suppress absentee or mail-in votes.

President Trump told Fox Business Network that he's against additional funding and election assistance for the U.S. Postal Service in order to sabotage efforts to expand mail-in voting.

As a result of the new postmaster general's plans to shake up the agency, "mail is beginning to pile up in our offices," says Kimberly Karol, a postal clerk and union leader in Iowa.

Critics charge the new postmaster general intends to make the Postal Service more of a business than a service, which opponents say could cause disruptions for customers.