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With the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, Louis DeJoy, the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service (USPS), is drawing attention. This is because during the 2020 election, when mail-in voting was widely implemented in the U.S., the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump raised concerns about possible mail-in ballot manipulation.

As mail-in ballots for the election are set to be sent out soon, Postmaster General DeJoy has pledged to ensure the voting process proceeds smoothly. In recent interviews with Bloomberg News, AP News, and others, he stated, "Everyone will be in good condition for the election," adding, "Everything will go well, and we are operating better than ever."

Luis DeJoy, Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service (USPS)
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

In August 2020, DeJoy became a focal point of controversy over the fairness and reliability of mail-in voting. At that time, the Democratic Party accused him?who was considered an ally of former President Trump?of "manipulating the system to prevent voters from accessing ballots," and former President Trump repeatedly questioned the possibility of mail-in ballot fraud and the lengthy counting process.

As a result, protesters gathered outside DeJoy's homes in Washington D.C. and North Carolina. Reflecting on that period during an interview, DeJoy said, "I became numb to the criticism. Who has received more criticism than me?"

During the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican Party filed numerous lawsuits challenging the legal validity of mail-in ballots in battleground states, causing further issues. Ironically, two years later, the Republicans have encouraged early and mail-in voting, viewing it as crucial to winning the presidential election.

Mail-in voting has long been practiced in the U.S. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 43% of American voters participated via mail-in ballots, setting a record high. DeJoy recalled the 2020 election, saying, "We overcame that situation well and executed it successfully."

According to data, 97.9% of mail-in ballots sent in 2020 were delivered to election authorities within three days. Over 135 million ballots were sent to voters at that time. In the 2022 midterms, 98.9% of ballots were delivered within three days. DeJoy plans to take measures to bring this figure closer to 100% this time.

The 2020 presidential election saw about 70 million mail-in ballots processed through the postal service due to COVID-19, but this year, the number is expected to be lower, between 57 million and 70 million. DeJoy asserted, "USPS processes 450 million pieces of mail daily," and confidently stated that there will be no major issues handling mail ballots in this election as well.

To this end, USPS plans to extend post office hours as it did in 2020 and station employees in front of post offices to quickly receive ballots from voters. DeJoy said that 640,000 USPS employees will work hard for this effort and that they are closely cooperating with local election officials.

Regarding claims of mail-in ballot manipulation, he expressed regret that such allegations frighten the American public, calling them "all exaggerated advertisements and lies." He added that he hopes people will trust the voting process through the mail and USPS's role in it. He also urged voters planning to vote by mail not to hold onto their ballots too late and to send them out early.

Meanwhile, on the 6th of this month, North Carolina, one of the Sun Belt states, began sending mail-in ballots to the homes of military personnel, overseas voters, and other eligible voters who requested them. Following that, Pennsylvania, considered a key battleground state that could change the election outcome, will start accepting mail-in ballot applications from the 16th. The first TV debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, expected to be a critical factor in this election, will take place on the 10th.