WASHINGTON—Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the U.S. Postal Service is suspending operational changes, such as removal of mail processing equipment and collection boxes, until after the November election, as the agency tries to reassure Americans that it can handle the anticipated surge in mail-in voting.
Calling the timely delivery of the nation’s election mail a “sacred duty,” Mr. DeJoy said the agency won’t change retail hours at post offices across the country or close any mail-sorting facilities.
“To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded,” he said in a statement.
The about-face comes as Mr. DeJoy is due to testify before Congress this week, with Democrats set to accuse him of working with President Trump to sabotage the outcome of the election, in which mail-in voting is expected to increase sharply because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. DeJoy, a Republican Party fundraiser and logistics executive, took the role of postmaster general in June. He has implemented changes, such as controlling overtime and reducing extra trips, which some postal union representatives and customers said caused delays.
