The NAACP has filed a lawsuit against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, claiming that he is attempting to "disenfranchise voters of color" amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Washington, D.C. District Court, asks the court to declare DeJoy's recent operational changes as "invalid" and against the law as well prevent DeJoy from implementing further policy changes that were announced on July 10.
"As the country faces an uphill battle against COVID-19 and systemic racism, we're witnessing a significant onslaught against our postal system at a time when prompt mail delivery matters more than ever, especially for voters of color," Derrick Johnson, the President and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement. "This willful and blatant attempt to obstruct the mail system amidst a pandemic and on the precipice of a pivotal election is a direct threat to the people of this nation's right to vote in a fair and free election."
On Tuesday, DeJoy said in a statement that the USPS would pause the implementation of the proposed operational changes until after the November election. However, it's unclear if the agency would restore any mail sorting equipment that had been taken offline between the July 10 policy changes and Tuesday's statement.
President Donald Trump has been staunchly opposed to universal mail-in voting, claiming that such policies would result in widespread voter fraud despite ample evidence to the contrary. Earlier this month, Trump said that he was hesitant to approve more funding for the USPS in order to curb the expansion of mail-in voting.
BREAKING: NAACP is suing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in Washington federal court demanding USPS restore prompt and reliable mail delivery and ensure mail-in ballots are given priority status in the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/QbsRKevNTH
— Megan Mineiro (@MMineiro_CNS) August 20, 2020
