• 96.6% of ballots being delivered from South Carolina voters to local election boards are delivered on time or faster than USPS service standards; average time to deliver a ballot from the voter back to local election boards in South Carolina is 1.4 days
• Extraordinary measures are underway to accelerate the delivery of Ballot Mail in coming days.

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Postal Service is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. Today, the Postal Service issued the following statistics regarding Election Mail performance in South Carolina:

• 138,014 ballots have been delivered to and from voters in South Carolina since Sept. 1. 
• 93.38% of ballots sent from local election boards to voters were delivered on time or faster than USPS service standards and in 2.58 days on average.
• 96.6% of ballots sent from voters back to local election boards were delivered on time or faster than USPS service standards and on average within 1.4 days.
• 99.82% of ballots sent from voters to local election boards were delivered within 7 days.   

The postal network is operating effectively in South Carolina with no known issues. We are in regular contact with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s office and local election boards and will continue to do so over the coming days to address any local issues as they arise.

Extraordinary Measures Underway (starting Oct. 21)

In addition to the proven processes and procedures specific to Election Mail that the Postal Service deploys all year long, the organization — as in previous general elections — is deploying extraordinary measures in the final weeks of the election season to swiftly move Ballot Mail entered close to or on Election Day and/or the state’s return deadline.

Extraordinary measures began on Oct. 21 and will continue nationwide through Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) and extend through the last day in each state that election boards will accept completed mail-in ballots as timely.

These extraordinary measures are designed to accelerate and enhance the delivery of Ballot Mail, when the Postal Service is able to identify the mailpiece as a ballot.

The Postal Service’s extraordinary measures include but are not limited to:

• Extra deliveries and collections
• Special pick-ups
• Expanded processing facility hours
• Specialized sort plans at processing facilities to expedite delivery to election boards
• Local handling and transportation of ballots

These measures are consistent with the Postal Service’s efforts in past elections.

Protecting the Security and Integrity of Election Mail  

As the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service partners with the FBI, DOJ, CISA, DHS, and the USPS Office of the Inspector General as well as state and local law enforcement, to secure Election Mail​.

In the coming days, postal inspectors and other Postal Inspection Service personnel will physically observe Election Mail processing and delivery operations. They will review the physical security of Election Mail and the workplace and report their findings to Inspection Service and Postal Service leadership so that corrective action may be taken for any concerns that are identified.​

The Postal Inspection Service asks the public to report suspicious mail and Election Mail-related security or criminal incidents:

• Call the Postal Inspection Service national hotline: 877-876-2455
• Report online: www.USPIS.gov/report
• Learn more about Postal Inspection Service and Election Mail security: https://www.uspis.gov/election-mail-security

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