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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 17 sepTember 2024

Postal Service insists it’s ready for a flood of mail-in ballots

By DAVID SHARP voters in Alabama.
Associated Press Steve Simon, president of
U.S. Postmaster General the National Association
Louis DeJoy assured state of Secretaries of State, on
election officials in a letter Monday stood by his as-
released Monday that he’ll sessment that the Postal
work with them to handle Service has been slow to re-
their warnings of problems spond to concerns. He said
with election mail delivery that localized problems
during the primary season, can be easily addressed
while insisting that the Post- but that “larger issues still
al Service will be ready for remain.”
the flood of mail-in ballots “If the nation’s election of-
ahead of the November ficials felt these issues had
election. been properly addressed
The Postal Service already with USPS staff over the
dealt with most concerns last year, then there would
raised by election officials, have been no need” for
he said, after they warned the election groups to air
that properly addressed their concerns last week,
election mail was returned he said.
a problem that can cause Mandy Vigil, president of
voters to be automatically U.S. Postal Service trucks park outside a post office in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. the National Association
Associated Press
placed on inactive sta- of State Election Direc-
tus and that mail-in ballots a repeat of “flawed ballot of State Election Directors, from four years earlier. tors, agreed “that the is-
were postmarked on time envelope designs,” though even as former President While the numbers this year sues we’ve raised have not
but arrived after election many envelopes were al- Donald Trump continues to may be smaller, many vot- been resolved adequately
deadlines. ready designed and print- falsely claim he won in 2020 ers have embraced mail going into the November
DeJoy said that training is ed, officials said. and seized upon the mail voting and come to rely election.”
already being beefed up The Postal Service also has delivery troubles to sow on it. And both Democrats In his response, DeJoy ac-
for postal employees and teams in place to tackle doubts about the upcom- and Republicans have knowledged that a mas-
that the Postal Service is mail flagged as “undeliver- ing election. He repeated launched efforts to push sive network reorganiza-
already in constant con- able as addressed,” or any his claim Sunday on social supporters to vote early, ei- tion caused some tempo-
tact with election officials other problem that might media that the Postal Ser- ther in person or by mail to rary problems but assured
and will work them to ad- arise with election mail, De- vice is not up to the task. “bank” their votes before the two bipartisan elec-
dress quality problems that Joy wrote. In 2020, amid the coronavi- Election Day on Nov. 5. In a tion groups that changes
caused incorrect deliveries The concerns were raised rus pandemic, election of- sign of how quickly Election are now being limited to
or mail to be returned to by the National Association ficials reported sending just Day is approaching, the first avoid slowing election mail
sender. He also said he’d of Secretaries of State and over 69 million ballots in the batch of mail ballots were ahead of the November
work with them to avoid the National Association mail, a substantial increase sent last week to absentee election.q

Ohio town cancels cultural festival after furor over Haitians

By PATRICK AFTOORA OR- its annual celebration of would be surged to Spring- dential campaign have bomb threats.
SAGOS and MICHAEL RU- cultural diversity on Mon- field to help city officials amplified debunked claims At least 33 separate bomb
BINKAM day in response to days of deal with the fallout. about Haitian immigrants threats were made in re-
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — violent threats that have Springfield’s two-day Cul- eating domestic pets and cent days, all of them
An Ohio city at the cen- closed schools and govern- tureFest, which highlights waterfowl. hoaxes, DeWine said. He
ter of a political furor over ment offices. The governor, diversity, arts and culture, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, said some of the threats
Haitian migrants canceled meanwhile, said resources had been scheduled to a Republican, has de- came from overseas, but
begin Sept. 27 but was nounced the false rumors, declined to name the
canceled “in light of re- saying there is no evidence country.
cent threats and safety of it. He said at a news “We cannot let the bad
concerns,” the city an- conference in Springfield guys win. Our schools must
nounced. on Monday that dozens of remain open.
“We deeply regret hav- members of the Ohio State They are going to remain
ing to cancel CultureFest, Highway Patrol will be sta- open,” DeWine said.
as we know it is a beloved tioned in Springfield schools Two colleges in Springfield
event for our community,” starting Tuesday, sweeping held classes virtually on
City Manager Bryan Heck each building every morn- Monday. Wittenberg Uni-
said in a statement. “How- ing before the arrival of versity said it received two
ever, the safety of our faculty or students. Security threats over the weekend,
residents and visitors must cameras have also been “both of which were target-
come first.” stationed at various spots in ed toward members of the
Springfield has been the the city. Haitian Community.” Clark
focus of intense attention Springfield City Hall, several State College said it would
in recent days after former schools, and state motor operate virtually through
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine holds a news conference
Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at city hall in Springfield, Ohio. President Donald Trump, his vehicle offices in Springfield Friday “due to recent
Associated Press running mate JD Vance, were forced to evacuate events in Springfield.”q
and the Republican presi- last week after receiving