USPS leaders are working to solve delayed mail and package delivery issues in Mississippi’s capital city weeks after Jackson residents first began noticing disruptions.
“Senior Postal Service Leadership, including the Regional Processing Vice President and the new Senior Division Processing Director for MS, AL, LA, and OK have been onsite in Jackson recently working with local management to address the delays and bring plant operations current,” USPS Communications Specialist James Stotts said in a statement to the Mississippi Free Press on Monday.
U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat whose district includes most of Jackson, said in a media statement on Feb. 26 that his office had been “made aware of the persistent mail delays at the Jackson Processing Facility, which have caused significant inconvenience to residents and businesses in the region.”
“I understand the frustrations these delays have caused, and I want to assure my constituents that I am actively engaged in addressing this issue,” he continued.
WLBT first reported on the delays in February. “I have a brother who lives out of state. I have family members who constantly send mail here,” Jackson resident Faye Taylor told WLBT on Feb. 10. “I haven’t even seen that. I haven’t seen some bills that I normally get (mailed) right about now.”
Thompson’s Feb. 26 statement said that senior leadership at USPS informed him that officials had traveled to the capital city to assist local management in resolving any issues that may have resulted in the delays.
In his statement to the Mississippi Free Press on Monday, Stotts said that USPS officials were also “using increased overtime and focusing local operations on mail and packages destined for ZIP Codes serviced by the Jackson plant.”
“We look forward to reports of a strong service recovery in the near term,” Stotts continued.
Regardless of the response from USPS officials, Thompson said he remains “concerned about the continued disruption in mail service.”
“Timely mail delivery is critical for families, businesses, and those who rely on essential correspondence, including Social Security checks, prescription medications, and time-sensitive documents,” Thompson continued. “My office will continue to monitor this situation closely to ensure postal officials take the necessary steps to bring the Jackson Mail Processing Facility up to acceptable standards.”
Despite the reported delays, Stotts said there should be no impact on mail-in absentee voting in this year’s municipal elections. “The Postal Service will fulfill our role in the electoral process when public policymakers choose to utilize the mail as a part of their election system or when voters choose to utilize our services to participate in an election,” he told the Mississippi Free Press.
“We employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling and delivery of all Election Mail, including ballots,” Stotts continued. “For additional information, see the 2022 and 2024 Election Mail reports. If you are eligible to vote by mail and choose to do so, you should plan ahead to give yourself enough time to complete and return your ballot by your state’s deadlines.”
The mail service problems in Jackson come at a time when President Donald Trump is considering dissolving the USPS’s bipartisan board of governors and putting it under the control of his appointed U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick.
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