BY QUINN SCANLAN, ABC NEWS
(WASHINGTON) — The NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund announced Thursday an agreement between the civil rights organization and the United States Postal Service regarding election mail delivery pertaining to the Jan. 5 runoff election in Georgia.
Vote Forward also entered into a separate, but identical, agreement with USPS, a spokesperson for the organization tells ABC News.
The parties state in the filing that in reaching the agreement, they wanted to “avoid the cost and burden of further litigation between now and the” election. The plaintiffs have agreed to not seek additional relief beyond what’s outlined in the agreement and in previous court orders.
Sam Spital, the NAACP LDF’s director of litigation, issued a statement that read: “Every ballot must be counted, and this agreement with the USPS is a significant step in ensuring that the mail-in voting process for the Georgia runoff election will ensure the timely delivery of ballots…LDF will continue to monitor every aspect of the Georgia election to ensure that all voters – especially Black voters who consistently face suppression and intimidation tactics – can participate via mail, through early voting or in person on Election Day.”
The USPS also provided ABC News with a statement.
“The U.S. Postal Service has always been fully dedicated to fulfilling our vital role in the nation’s electoral process – it has been our number one priority for past the eight months,” it said. “That dedication never wavered, and we took all steps necessary to deliver Election Mail timely and securely and performed admirably. We are equally committed to the timely and secure delivery of Election Mail for the Georgia runoff.”
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