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Today, U.S. Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) sent a letter to Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy to request the United States Postal Service (USPS) implement procedures, in coordination with the State of Ohio, to ensure the timely and accurate delivery of election-related materials prior to the November elections. 

The letter was signed by U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ohio Congressmen Steve Chabot (R-OH1), Brad R. Wenstrup, (R-OH2), Bill Johnson (R-OH6) Bob Gibbs (R-OH7), Mike Turner (R-OH10), Troy Balderson (R-OH12), Steve Stivers (R-OH15), and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH16). 

The local postal carriers and the people who work to deliver the mail do a great job, but unfortunately, for years, the United States Postal Service Michigan Metroplex Facility has failed to reliably deliver mail, including bills and absentee ballots, to residents of Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District.

“Over the past decade, the USPS has implemented plans to consolidate their operations across the State, which has resulted in the closure of several mail processing plants,” they wrote in the letter.  “The consequences of these efforts vary from district to district.  For example, in Northwest Ohio, a new system was arranged where mail would be sent to the Michigan Metroplex for processing and sorting, before heading to its destination.  Unfortunately, this process has created delays and added time to the delivery of each mail piece.  In addition to delivery delays, there was an increase in complaints from constituents about lost or discarded mail, including absentee balloting materials."

“With the continued uncertainty created by the COVID-19 health crisis and the ongoing national discussions about the performance of the USPS, we urge you to work with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to implement procedures to protect Ohioans’ constitutional right to vote,” they continued. “These procedures should include: 1) nightly all-clear inspections of mail facilities to ensure all election-related materials are sent out; 2) more processing carried out within Ohio at local Post Offices or Ohio-based mail processing facilities; and 3) local USPS representatives building relationships with county boards of elections and establishing intakes/drop offs for election-related materials.  These suggestions are based on the procedures that were implemented before the Ohio Primary Elections that were held this past spring.”

Since 2011, Congressman Latta has held calls with the Postmaster General, brought in USPS officials for meetings, and visited mail processing centers in Ohio and Michigan.

In October 2016, Congressman Latta was made aware of significant delays in the delivery of absentee ballots before the 2016 general election.  Over the following weeks and months, he pushed for answers as to why hundreds of ballots were delayed, and in some instances, lost all together.  The problems were traced back to the USPS Michigan Metroplex Facility in Pontiac, Michigan.

In April 2017, following up on these inquiries, Congressman Latta traveled to the Michigan Metroplex Facility to inspect their operations and receive a briefing.  At the time, USPS officials made assurances that the facility’s performance would be improved and new absentee ballot procedures would be implemented. 

Despite these assurances, mail issues persisted in Northwest Ohio, leading Congressman Latta to pen a letter to the Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service in June 2020 to request a formal inquiry into the possibility of transferring the mail processing responsibilities for Northwest Ohio from the USPS Michigan Metroplex Facility to either the Cleveland Mail Processing Plant or the Columbus Mail Processing Plant. 

The Congressman did receive a response to that letter stating no formal inquiry into the possibility of transferring the mail processing responsibilities from Pontiac to either Cleveland or Columbus will be made. 

At the beginning of August, Congressman Latta sent residents of Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District an online survey asking his constituents to share if they experience delays or challenges receiving their mail. 3,015 constituents marked they have experienced such hardships, which represents 85.9% of all people who responded to the survey.

Read the full text of the letter here.

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