Call the City of Portland Clerks Office at 874-8677 or 874-8610, During Office Hours, to Receive a Ballot for the November Election.

A federal district court granted a preliminary injunction yesterday against changes made by the United States Postal Service (USPS) which have resulted in mail delivery delays and have raised concerns about the timely delivery of absentee ballots to millions of voters across the country.  The injunction was granted in response to a multistate lawsuit which was led by Pennsylvania attorney general Josh Shapiro and was joined by Maine attorney general Aaron M. Frey and the attorneys of other states and the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Frey released the following statement this morning:

“Yesterday the Court issued an injunction to stop the series of changes imposed at the United States Postal Service by the Post Master General Louis DeJoy.  The operational changes had slowed the delivery of mail in Maine and across the country. Yesterdays court order recognizes that the unilaterala efforts to incapacitate the Post Office wee made improperly and requires that these changes be halted.  These efforts to undermine the USPS were not only improper. they constituted an attempt to interfere with the upcoming election by making it more difficult for Mainers to safely vote by mail.  The changes also hurt many Mainers who rely on the Post Office for necessary items such as prescription drugs.”

“Given the importance of the Post Office to our state and the fact that more than 240,000 Maine voters have requested absentee ballots, it is important that the Court stepped in.  My office will continue to protect the right to vote and will stand up for free and fair elections.  Voting absentee i a safe, legal and secure option available to all Mainers who choose and all absentee votes cast and received by the close of polls on Election Day will be counted.

Please visit the previous post herein for more background information on the absentee ballot process in Maine.  On August 18, 2020 Attorney General Frey announced that he was joining a coalition of states in a lawsuit against the unlawful changes to the USPS.  For more background information, please also visit that post herein for more background information on the lawsuit referred to above.