Postmaster General Louis DeJoy assures the nation that the U.S. Postal Service is fully prepared for the surge in election mail and is better equipped to handle it than it was four years ago.

The Postal Service has been undergoing significant transformations, including the establishment of large distribution centers. However, DeJoy mentioned that some of these changes are being temporarily suspended before the election to prevent any disruptions in service. The agency will be fully mobilized to ensure that the millions of mail-in ballots are delivered promptly to their intended recipients.

“We are well-prepared for the election. I am confident in our preparations and operations,” DeJoy told The Associated Press prior to an official briefing on Thursday regarding election mail procedures. “The American public should have confidence.”

This stands in stark contrast to four years ago when DeJoy, only a few months into his tenure, was being condemned as a Donald Trump confidant who was dismantling mail-processing equipment and removing blue postal boxes to undermine the election while Trump, the president at the time, spread distrust in the Postal Service. Despite facing harsh criticism, DeJoy's Postal Service performed exceptionally well under the weight of increased mail-in voting during the pandemic.

DeJoy emphasized that if there were any lessons learned from the past, it was the need for the Postal Service to be more assertive in its communication.

“We need to communicate more effectively about our performance and assure the public that everything will be handled smoothly and efficiently. We are in a stronger operational position than ever before,” he stated.

U.S. Postal Service officials informed reporters on Thursday about the measures being implemented to ensure that election mail reaches its intended recipients, building upon the service's performance in 2020, when 97.9% of ballots were delivered to election officials within three days, and in 2022, when 98.9% of election mail was delivered within three days. DeJoy expressed his desire to achieve a delivery rate closer to 100% in the upcoming election cycle.

The lack of controversy is a welcome change from four years ago, when the Postal Service faced significant backlogs and accusations of voter suppression leading up to the 2020 presidential election, which saw over 135 million ballots delivered to and from voters.

DeJoy was criticized for restricting overtime payments for postal workers and stopping the agency’s longtime practice of allowing late and extra truck deliveries in the summer of 2020. And the previously scheduled dismantling of dozens of mail-sorting machines and removal of blue boxes, corresponding with a massive drop in first-class mail, provided additional fuel to critics. The postmaster general, who was a major donor to Trump, was thought to be on thin ice, especially with the election of Democratic President Joe Biden.

“The situation was exaggerated. It caused unnecessary fear among the American public,” DeJoy stated.

Reflecting on that period, he described the accusations as “just crazy” and particularly disheartening given that he worked seven days a week after assuming leadership of an organization on the verge of financial insolvency.

“We successfully navigated that situation. The organization performed exceptionally well. Following that, I began collaborating with both sides of the political spectrum. My primary mission now is to enhance this organization. And we have made significant progress in improving it,” he stated.

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a consistent critic of changes implemented under DeJoy, expressed confidence on Thursday that Postal Service employees will “ensure every ballot cast by mail is safely and securely delivered.” However, the Virginia Democrat also emphasized the significance of oversight, stating that "Congress must remain vigilant in scrutinizing decisions made by the postmaster general in the days preceding this election.”

The Postal Service is moving forward with a 10-year, $40 billion modernization program that involves renovating outdated facilities, establishing modern regional centers in Georgia, Virginia, Oregon, and other locations, and initiating the procurement of 100,000 vehicles to replace older delivery trucks dating back to 1987. A prototype of the next-generation delivery vehicle was showcased on Thursday at a separate event in Indiana, aimed at highlighting the Postal Service's investments.

The Postal Service demonstrated its ability to adapt when it abandoned a controversial plan to redirect mail processing from Reno, Nevada to Sacramento, California, a move that had sparked widespread concern among northern Nevada residents.

DeJoy urged the public to avoid waiting until the last minute to mail their ballots, stating, “Vote early! If you’re using the mail, help us out,” he suggested.