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U.S. judge blocks Postal Service changes that slowed mail

In this July 31, 2020, file photo, letter carriers load mail trucks for deliveries at a U.S. Postal Service facility in McLean, Va.
Associated Press

By GENE JOHNSON leaving postal facilities on tivated attack on the ef- receives.” them. The states sought to
Associated Press time regardless of whether ficiency of the Postal Serv- Lee Moak, a member of have the “leave behind”
SEATTLE (AP) — A U.S. judge there is more mail to load. ice," Bastian said. the USPS Board of Gover- policy revoked; election
on Thursday blocked con- They also sought to force He also said the changes nors, called the notion any mail treated as First Class
troversial Postal Service the Postal Service to treat created "a substantial pos- changes were politically mail rather than as slower-
changes that have slowed election mail as First Class sibility many voters will be motivated “completely moving categories; the
mail nationwide, calling mail. disenfranchised." and utterly without merit.” reinstallation of any mail
them "a politically motivat- The judge noted after a Bastian, an appointee of Following a national up- processing machines need-
ed attack on the efficiency hearing that Trump had former President Barack roar, Postmaster General ed to ensure the prompt
of the Postal Service" be- repeatedly attacked vot- Obama, said he planned Louis DeJoy, a major donor handling of election mail;
fore the November elec- ing by mail by making un- to issue a written order by to President Donald Trump and that the court hold
tion. founded claims that it is Friday, but that it would and the GOP, announced DeJoy to his promise to sus-
Judge Stanley Bastian in rife with fraud. Many more be substantially the same he was suspending some pend other changes.
Yakima, Washington, said voters are expected to as the injunction sought by changes — including the Led by Washington Attor-
he was issuing a nation- vote by mail this November the states. removal of iconic blue mail- ney General Bob Ferguson,
wide preliminary injunction because of the COVID-19 Postal Service spokesman boxes in many cities and the states said the Postal
sought by 14 states that pandemic, and the states Dave Partenheimer said in the decommissioning of Service made the chang-
sued the Trump adminis- have expressed concern a statement the organiza- mail processing machines. es without first bringing
tration and the U.S. Postal that delays might result in tion is reviewing its legal op- But other changes re- them to the Postal Regula-
Service. voters not receiving ballots tions, but that “there should mained in place, and the tory Commission for public
The states challenged the or registration forms in time. be no doubt that the Postal states — including the bat- comment and an advisory
Postal Service's so-called "The states have demon- Service is ready and com- tlegrounds of Michigan, opinion, as required by fed-
"leave behind" policy, strated the defendants are mitted to handle whatever Wisconsin and Nevada — eral law.
where trucks have been involved in a politically mo- volume of election mail it asked the court to block Continued on next page