A federal judge has ordered the United States Postal Service to speed up delivery in two regions in Michigan ahead of the election for absentee ballots.
U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Bastian issued the order after a coalition of states, including Michigan, filed a lawsuit against the USPS for significant slowdowns in mail service.
The Detroit District is included in the order, and a U.S. House investigation found that district had the nation's worst on-time delivery, about 57-85% compared to a national score of 93%.
“The slowdown of mail delivery in our state – especially in Detroit – has had a dramatic negative impact on the timely delivery of absentee ballots,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the release.
"If USPS identifies any incoming ballots in its 'all clear' processes in these facilities from the date of this order through Election Day, it shall make every effort to deliver those ballots by 8:00 PM local time on Election Day as required by Michigan law, including by using Priority Mail Express and/or other extraordinary measures," the order reads.
It also reads, "If USPS identifies any outgoing ballots in its 'all clear' processes in these facilities between the date of this order and November 1, 2020, it shall make every effort to deliver those ballots to voters on or before November 2, 2020, including by using Priority Mail Express or other extraordinary measures."
Michiganders are still urged not to use the USPS to return absentee ballots. Instead, you should return them in-person at your local clerk's office. If you have already returned it through the mail or in=person, you can check online at Michigan.gov/vote.
