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State and local officials warn delays in election-related mail could disenfranchise voters

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Washington — State and local elections officials from nearly half of the states warned the U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday that ongoing issues with election mail delivery could risk disenfranchising voters and urged the service to act quickly to address deficiencies ahead of the presidential election.

In the letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the leaders of various groups representing election administrators raised concerns with the Postal Service’s performance in the run-up to Election Day on Nov. 5. The letter said elections officials have raised questions over the past year about the service’s ability to deliver election mail on time and accurately.

The officials said while there has been “repeated engagement” with the Postal Service, they have not seen “improvement or concerted efforts” to remedy their concerns. Millions of voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail in the weeks before Election Day.

“State and local election officials need a committed partner in USPS,” the officials wrote. “We implore you to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues with USPS election mail service. Failure to do so will risk limiting voter participation and trust in the election process.”

A box of ballots is pictured in a U.S. Postal Service box on Election Day at the King County Elections office in Renton, Washington, on Nov. 3, 2020.
A box of ballots is pictured in a U.S. Postal Service box on Election Day at the King County Elections office in Renton, Washington, on Nov. 3, 2020.

JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images


They said that despite efforts over the past few years to emphasize the importance of voters requesting and returning mail-in ballots early, local officials in nearly every state are receiving ballots postmarked on time after Election Day, the deadline in many states for them to be received. The election officials said in multiple states, “dozens to hundreds of ballots” were received at least 10 days after they were postmarked.

“There is no amount of proactive communication election officials can do to account for USPS’s inability to meet their own service delivery timelines,” they wrote.

The election officials also told DeJoy that mail sent to voters is being marked as undeliverable at above-normal rates, even when a voter has not moved. The issue has impacted a range of election mail, they said, including mailers with election information, voter address confirmation cards and ballots. The officials said in other instances, ballots sent to election offices are returned to the voter as undeliverable.

Election mail sent back to an election office could trigger a process under federal law that may lead to a voter being deemed inactive and require them to take additional steps to verify their address to vote in the upcoming election, the state and local officials said. The increase in undeliverable mail could lead to the potential disenfranchisement of voters who fail to receive ballots or lead to their voter registration records being canceled, they said.

In addition to concerns about the delivery of election mail, the officials said USPS staff is not informed about the service’s policies, leading to “inconsistent guidance” being given to election officials or ballots being deliberately held, delayed or improperly processed.

The frequency of the training issues, they said, “make it clear these are not one-off mistakes or a problem with specific facilities. Instead, it demonstrates a pervasive lack of understanding and enforcement of USPS policies among its employees.”

The letter was sent by the National Association of State Election Directors, the National Association of Secretaries of State and presidents of local election associations on behalf of administrators nationwide.

Appointed during the Trump administration, DeJoy came under scrutiny ahead of the 2020 election over mail-delivery delays. The Census Bureau reported in April 2021 that 69% of voters cast their ballots either by mail or before Election Day, the highest rate of nontraditional voting since 1996.

While voting in 2020 took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Republicans and Democrats have continued to urge supporters to cast their ballots early. 

Even former President Donald Trump, who has claimed mail-in ballots lead to election fraud, said last month that absentee and early voting are “good options.”



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Here Comes the Sun: Jack Antonoff and more

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Here Comes the Sun: Jack Antonoff and more – CBS News


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Record producer and singer Jack Antonoff sits down with Tracy Smith to discuss his band Bleachers, working with Taylor Swift, and producing the music for Broadway’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Then, Luke Burbank learns about the Aluminaire House, which can now be viewed at the Palm Springs Art Museum. “Here Comes the Sun” is a closer look at some of the people, places and things we bring you every week on “CBS Sunday Morning.”

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Capturing Moriah Wilson’s Killer – CBS News

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Capturing Moriah Wilson’s Killer – CBS News


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A promising young athlete is murdered. Her suspected killer disappears and an international manhunt by U.S. Marshals begins. “48 Hours” contributor Jonathan Vigliotti reports.

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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more

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Minnesota Vikings v Tennessee Titans
Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings scrambles in the second quarter of a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. 

Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.


How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.


How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable

You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.

Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.


You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.


Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.


Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.



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