Postal Service chief frustrated at criticism, but promises 'heroic' effort to deliver mail ballots

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The head of the U.S. Postal Service expressed frustration Thursday with ongoing criticism by election officials of how it handles mail ballots while also seeking to reassure voters that it's ready to handle an expected crush of those ballots this fall.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told reporters that it's difficult for the Postal Service to address “generalities” about perceived problems and said some election officials don’t fully understand its efforts to deliver ballots in time to be counted.

He said the service will collect and deliver mail ballots more frequently in the days before the Nov. 5 presidential election and would keep processing centers open the Sunday before Election Day. The Postal Service, he said, would take extraordinary measures to “rescue” ballots that are mailed late and at risk of missing state deadlines to be received by election offices.

Elections officials have said for weeks that they are concerned about the Postal Service's readiness. They've cited ballots arriving late or without the postmarks required by some state laws during the primary season.