USPS to Deliver Properly Postmarked Ballots through Saturday

Days after Election Day, no clear winner has yet emerged between President Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Largely thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic reaching an all-time high, more mail-in ballots were cast in this year’s election than ever before. At the time of publishing this article, election workers had yet to count all mail-in ballots in a large number of states…and more ballots are still trickling in. In a Wednesday court hearing, USPS officials testified the Postal Service will continue delivering properly postmarked ballots through Saturday. This way, USPS will work to ensure that all properly marked ballots get counted. After all, these mail-in votes may yet determine the final outcome of the election.

USPS to Implement Extraordinary Measures to Deliver Properly Postmarked Ballots

According to USPS officials, the Postal Service “will take extraordinary measures” to deliver ballots in time to be counted. Such measures include utilizing the Postal Service’s Express Mail network, which guarantees delivery in one to two days. In comparison, the regular First-Class Mail network typically delivers within a timeframe of three business days.

Here’s why USPS working to deliver these extra mail-in ballots matters so much. Twenty-three states allow for properly postmarked ballots to count if they arrive after Election Day. These twenty-three states that accept ballots after Election Day represent 317 of the nation’s 538 total Electoral College votes. As it happens, Nevada and Pennsylvania are part of this group of states that accept ballots after Election Day.

At this point, with the amount of electoral votes that Joe Biden has received, either Nevada or Pennsylvania could decide the election if the vote swings in Biden’s favor.

If Battleground States Continue Accepting More Mail-in Votes, Data Shows Biden Will Take the Presidency

Generally speaking, mail-in voters tend to favor Joe Biden over President Trump. Since this is the case, one can only assume that the more properly postmarked ballots trickle in, the more Biden will secure his lead over President Trump in critical battleground states such as Arizona and Nevada. An influx of mail-in ballots may result in Biden pulling ahead in the Republican-leading battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania, as well.

As it currently stands, the road to 270 electoral votes hinges on those four states: AZ, NV, GA, and PA. As USPS continues delivering ballots, mail-in votes in these states may be what ultimately tips the scales towards Biden.

While reporting live on Pennsylvania’s results, CNN Anchor John King said the following in regards to mail-in votes:

“Joe Biden is on a trajectory, if he keeps getting the mail-in votes at the percentages he has been getting….the math is certainly there [for him to win].”

Want to keep track of where each state stands? Check out CNN’s live interactive election map.