The United States Postal Service announced on Friday that it had agreed with the NAACP on a proceeding filed by a civil rights group before the 2020 elections, which challenged USPS delivery delays.

under settlementThe USPS said it expects to enact policies and practices in the middle of 2022 similar to the “special measures” used in the November 2020 general elections. These measures have been criticized for making changes affecting the delivery of mailed ballots between the very important election year and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic under the leadership of Postmaster Lewis Dejoy. It happened inside.

Between 2024 and 2028, the Post Office agreed to publicly post a guidance document outlining the “Sincere Efforts to Prioritize Surveillance and Timely Delivery” of election mail.

Under the new agreement, agencies will meet with NAACP officials months before each national primary election by 2028 to provide a weekly report on the six-week service leading up to the election. I agreed. These outreach meetings are held twice in each of these four election cycles, once by April and once in August or September of each year.

The meeting is intended for “cooperative discussions” where both parties can discuss election email performance, frequently reported election email issues, policies, operational efforts, and more.

Under the agreement, the USPS will provide the NAACP with weekly service performance scores for first class and standard mail six weeks before and one week after the November 2022 and 2024 general elections.

“The NAACP is now able to monitor USPS performance during national elections, protecting the right to vote for all citizens, including those who are often oppressed,” NAACP said. President Derrick Johnson said in a post-reconciliation statement. ..

In a statement on Friday, Under Secretary of Justice Vanita Gupta said the Department of Justice “is pleased to promote a resolution that reflects the commitment of all parties to properly process and prioritize election emails.”

Earlier this year, the USPS under DeJoy implemented a 10-year plan aimed at supporting and modernizing financially struggling institutions. Policy changes included extending first-class postal delivery hours and reducing post office hours.

NAACP Was sued The August 2020 USPS argues that changes made by government agencies lead to “unreliable service and widespread delays” in postal delivery, risking delaying mail voting in time for the November 2020 elections. did.

The USPS denied doing so, but instead claimed to have played its role “excellently and in line with applicable standards.”

The agreement signed on Friday stated that it was neither an approval by either party of the other party’s allegations or “lack of merit” of defense, nor an “approval of liability or negligence” by the defendant.