Politics
Voter confidence in postal service ballot delivery drops to 58%, poll shows
A survey shows a sharp two-year decline in postal delivery confidence despite high local election trust.
The short version
- Public confidence in the U.S. Postal Service delivering mail-in ballots on time fell to 58%, down from 71% in 2024, according to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.[NPR]
- The survey found stark partisan divisions, with 32% of Democrats, 26% of independents, and 12% of Republicans planning to vote by mail this year.[NPR]
- USPS reported a 97.94% on-time rate for election mail through August and expects to maintain standard delivery procedures following a Supreme Court ruling.[NPR]
Key facts
- Fifty-eight percent of registered voters are confident the USPS will deliver mail ballots on time, falling from 71% in 2024 to levels last seen in 2020.[NPR · PBS NewsHour]
- Seventy-five percent of registered voters trust their state or local government to conduct a fair and accurate election.[NPR · PBS NewsHour]
- The USPS reported handling more than 233 million election mail items this fiscal year through August with an on-time rate of 97.94%.[NPR]
- The survey followed a September 14 Supreme Court decision blocking the Trump administration from using the Postal Service to restrict mail-in voting.[NPR · PBS NewsHour]
- Seventy percent of Republicans believe there is widespread fraud in mail voting, compared to 18% of Democrats and 32% of independents.[NPR · PBS NewsHour]
What remains uncertain
- The degree to which public misinformation about the postal service's role contributed to the drop in voter confidence remains unmeasured.[NPR]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.