'This is unacceptable': Top Kansas election official demands answers from USPS after mail errors in Primary Election

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Kansas Secretary of State (SOS) Scott Schwab is calling for answers from the U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for alleged mishandling of Primary Election ballots in 2024.

Schwab issued the letter on Monday, Sept. 9, asking DeJoy to provide answers for the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) alleged mishandling of legally cast Primary Election ballots along with assurances these issues will be resolved in time for the upcoming General Election in November. The SOS reports the ballots of 1,000 Kansans were either properly postmarked but received by county election offices after the three-day grace period or lacked a required postmark.

"Some ballots were not counted because they lacked the required postmark by the U.S. Postal Service, a simple and easy step," Schwab said. "This is unacceptable."

Schwab included a list of requests on the part of DeJoy and the USPS. These include the following:

• An explanation of the USPS police for ensuring each ballot is postmarked.
• How the USPS will ensure each ballot is postmarked in the November General Election.
• How the USPS will ensure each ballot that has been placed into its custody before election day will be delivered on time to county election offices for the votes to be counted.

"Proper and timely handling of mail ballots is a key aspect to maintaining trust in our election system," Schwab said.

Around 336,000 Kansans participated in the recent Primary Election on Aug. 6. Just over 40,000 mail-in ballots were returned out of the 58,300 issued to voters.

Schwab's letter was also distributed to Kansas state senators and representatives in Congress. A copy of the full letter to DeJoy can be found below or online by clicking here. 27 News has reached out to the USPS for a response to Schwab's letter.

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