Postmaster general says he's suspending operational changes until after 2020 election. Critics aren't satisfied.

USPS collection box.
(Image credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Tuesday announced he's suspending operational changes he was instituting for the United States Postal Service.

The decision comes after public outcry and allegations that the Trump administration was attempting to slow mail deliveries in response to what's expected to be a larger-than-usual volume of mail-in ballots for November's election because of the coronavirus pandemic. DeJoy had indeed made changes to the agency's operations, including cutting post office hours and overtime, as well as the removal of mail processing and collection boxes (which the post office says was a routine process.) But he said he now plans to push those alterations until after the election "to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail." Additionally, he said, starting Oct. 1 "we will engage standby resources in all areas" to "satisfy any unforeseen demand."

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.