A federal court in Philadelphia has ordered the U.S. Postal Service to rescind the changes in the mail service it enacted this year. The court found that Pennsylvania and other states would otherwise be irreparably harmed.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Gerald A. McHugh issued the ruling Monday. It allows an injunction to be levied on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, This is due to the changes he oversaw leading to a detrimental effect in mail service. The decision includes six states including Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
According to McHugh, the imposition of changes in the mail service was detrimental to the mail-in ballot voting process. Examples of those changes were the imposition of overtime restrictions on postal employees and cutting back on trips made by postal trucks and letter carries.
You can read: Pennsylvania asks Supreme Court to extend e-mail voting deadlines
DeJoy’s attorney argued that the changes would not cause such harms, but McHugh is of a different opinion.
“The Postal Service is a critical agency that preceded the birth of the nation itself. It is one of a few agencies that the Constitution explicitly authorized. Congress has described it as “a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States,”
“Its ability to fulfill its mission during a presidential election taking place in the midst of a public health crisis is vital. The record in this case strongly supports the conclusion that irreparable harm will result unless its ability to operate is assured.”
Mail service damaged
McHugh explained how first-class mail service ratings went from 92 percent when the pandemic started down to 81 percent by August. This happened after DeJoy had the charge of the Postal Service.
McHugh also said the mail service agency violated its authority by making the changes without consulting the public. Or submitting a proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission. It disenfranchised mail-in voters through implementing those changes and caused irreparable harm in the process.
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