HAZELWOOD, Mo. – Concerns over delayed mail deliveries in eastern Missouri have prompted several lawmakers to take action. Potential consequences include impacts on daily deliveries to election ballots.

Four Republican members of Congress, all representing parts of Missouri, are demanding an audit of the Hazelwood Mail Sorting and Distribution Center.

Representatives Ann Wagner, Jason Smith, Blaine Luetkemeyer, and Sam Graves have sent a joint letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, calling for the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General to conduct an audit of the Hazelwood facility.

The lawmakers expressed growing concerns over delayed mail services, particularly the impact on absentee ballots during the August primaries. According to their letter, some absentee ballots were not delivered in time to be counted.

In their letter, the representatives voiced their concerns about a lack of engagement between USPS and local election authorities, which they say resulted in missed deadlines and the late delivery of critical election mail.

The group also raised alarm over USPS’ proposed cost-cutting measures, aimed at saving $3 billion annually, which they believe could lead to further delays in rural areas.

Senator Josh Hawley has also joined in the call for change. In his own letter to Postmaster General DeJoy, Hawley warned that proposed changes could delay rural mail delivery by up to 24 hours, a situation he described as “wholly unacceptable.”

Lawmakers from Illinois, including Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, have also written DeJoy, voicing similar concerns about the reliability of USPS services.

The U.S. Postal Service has yet to issue a formal response to these requests, but the issue has drawn attention from federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

With absentee ballots for the upcoming election set to be mailed out on September 24, officials and voters are watching closely to see if any improvements are made.