#FedEx and UPS say they can’t help Post Office deliver mail-in ballots

FedEx and UPS say they will not be able to assist with 2020 election ballots or provide any relief to what is expected to be a very beleaguered Post Office.

“State ballots must be postmarked to be considered valid and only the USPS has lawful postmarking status. Therefore UPS, FedEx and other private parties cannot technically be involved in shipping ballots,” UPS told Reuters in a statement.

FedEx said much of the same in a similar pronouncement to the news agency.

“FedEx does accept individual ballots, and we advise that customers planning to return their ballots via FedEx should closely review their state’s guidelines on absentee voting and deadlines for ballots or related election documents,” they said.

This week, The Post office warned that in 46 states and the District of Columbia it could not guarantee mail-in ballots would arrive in time to be counted for the 2020 election. The agency has faced deep cuts from Postmaster General and Trump ally Louis DeJoy in an effort to right its finances.

President Trump has opposed sending additional funding to the Postal Service over fears of voter fraud, earning him a rare public rebuke from his predecessor, President Obama.

“What we’ve never seen before is a president say, ‘I’m going to try to actively kneecap the Postal Service to discourage voting, and I will be explicit about the reason I’m doing it.’ That’s sort of unheard of,” Obama said.