Originally Published in Daily Local News
By Bill Rettew 

WEST CHESTER—In wake of the July 19 fire that shuttered the Airport Road post office, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan is looking for answers.

In a letter sent last week, Houlahan urged the Postmaster General to address service issues, inquired whether the closed post office will ever reopen and if all general election mail-in ballots will be delivered and counted.

In the letter to United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Houlahan outlined her constituents’ concerns.

Houlahan asked DeJoy for answers, to share the Postal Service’s plans and to commit to rebuilding the Airport Road facility, which is owned by the U.S. Postal Service.

Houlahan wants the Airport Road facility reopened.

“I’d like you to commit that the West Chester Post Office will be rebuilt and reopened, rather than closed permanently,” she wrote. “This location is critically important to maintaining adequate services in this part of my district in the long term.

“While augmenting services at nearby offices can help fill the gap in the short term, it cannot be an indefinite solution.”

As part of an email exchange, when asked about the future of the boarded up post office, postal employee Amy N. Gibbs responded.

“The structure is still being assessed,” Gibbs wrote.

Houlahan also expressed her concerns about how the closure of the USPS Airport Road facility will impact the distribution and collection of mail-in ballots.

“With only a handful of weeks until election day, and even fewer before mail-in ballots are distributed, I’m asking for a detailed plan for the distribution of ballots despite lack of access to this post office,” Houlahan wrote. “This plan should include what additional capacity will be needed at other nearby locations, and how this capacity can be provided.

“Every eligible American has the right to participate in our elections and that right should not be diminished due to lack of post office access.”

Gibbs was asked whether service on Airport Road will be eliminated and whether all mail-in ballots will be counted.

“Mail-in ballot delivery will not be affected,” she said. “There will be no change to their door-to-door delivery.”

Chester County Public Relations Officer Rebecca Brain said that the county has been working with the USPS.

“Since the US Postal Service West Chester Airport Road facility closed, Chester County Government has been working diligently with the USPS to not only ensure that all County mail is being sent and delivered without delay, but also to ensure the mail-in ballot process for the November election is not impacted,” Brain said.  “County staff will maintain communication with the USPS to monitor the collection and delivery of mail-in ballots to ensure they are delivered in time.

Voter Services will also begin its mail-in ballot drop box program on Tuesday, October 22 at locations throughout Chester County.

As of Thursday,  Chester County had received 76,740 mail-in ballot requests that have been approved for the November election. During the April 2024 Primary, Chester County had 43,638 mail-in ballots requested, with 33,319 mail-in ballots returned and cast.

Also, during the April 2024 Primary – 33,319 ballots were cast by mail-in and 54,336 ballots were cast by polling place.

Anne Carroll, West Chester resident, and super voter since 1971, has used mail-in ballots since they were approved, largely to make a statement or for when traveling, or a safeguard against illness on election day.

“My brother lives in Florida where it has been normal for voters for many years,” Carroll said about mail-in voting. “I always send my ballot early and watch for my receipt confirmation from Chester County Voter Services.”

Carroll trusts the systems, but verifies.

“In the past, the county lets the voter know via text or email when the ballot is mailed,” she said. “If it doesn’t arrive within the week, I will be on it.”

West Chester resident Diane LeBold drops off her ballot early, at  the Government Services Building.

She has hand delivered her ballots prior to the Airport Road fire.

“Over the years, the postal service has become a little less than reliable,” LeBold said.

Occasionally, LeBold doesn’t receive some regular mailings and said the postal service is overwhelmed and understaffed.

The Houlahan letter to DeJoy highlighted problems resulting from the closure, including a lack of clear operating hours at alternate facilities such as the Gay Street post office, incorrect and outdated information on the postal service website, long wait times for those visiting alternate post offices and chronic understaffing at the post offices currently trying to handle the overflow of customers who had previously relied on the Airport Road Post Office before the fire.

Houlahan noted that the hours displayed on the USPS’s website still describe the Airport Road location as being open and operating normally.   “This has caused confusion as postal patrons have traveled to the Airport Road location only to find a shuttered building,” Houlahan wrote. “Please correct this right away.

“Additionally, because of the closure, the nearby Gay Street Post Office in West Chester has extended its hours but the website has not been updated, leading to additional confusion.”

With closure of the Airport Road Post Office, demand at the West Chester Gay Street Post Office is now higher than ever. Even with extended hours, Houlahan has  received reports of long wait times of up to 90 minutes for counter services, as well as hours-long closures at the Gay Street location, due to a shortage of staff.

“It is critical that more staff are either hired or quickly transferred to meet the increased demand of postal customers that have been forced from the Airport Road location to the Gay Street location,” Houlahan wrote DeJoy.