The Postal Service says it will change all the changes it has made, giving priority to election mail

Helena, Mont. – The U.S. Postal Service on Wednesday agreed to change the changes that have slowed down the postal service across the country, with the Montana government settling a lawsuit filed by Steve Bullock during an epidemic that is expected to force many more to vote by mail.

The lawsuit, filed by Postmaster General Louis Dijoy and the U.S. Postal Service on September 9, argued that the changes, implemented in June, would affect access to postal services in Montana, resulting in delayed delivery of medical supplies, payments and job applications, and reduced Montana residents’ ability to vote by mail.

The Postal Service has agreed to modify all changes, including reduced retail hours, removal of collection boxes and mail sorting machines, closure or consolidation of mail processing facilities, restriction of delayed or additional trips for timely mail delivery, and restriction or restriction of overtime.

This agreement requires the postal service to prioritize election mail.

The settlement agreement was reached a day before the trial in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. This applies to all states.

“The Montanians have never given up this fight, and as a result, by immediately restoring the postal services that people rely on, we ensure stability in the election and beyond, ensuring that it receives vital medicines or is able to pay their bills on time,” Bullock said in a statement.

A spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Related: What is happening in the US Postal Service, and why? A question and answer explanation

Many more voters are expected to vote by mail this November to control the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. Due to Bullock’s directive to control the spread of the corona virus, the majority of Montana districts hold elections by mail. Bullock is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

The deal comes after a federal judge suspended the controversial postal service changes on September 17, calling the changes a “politically motivated attack on the performance of the postal service” ahead of the November election.

In Yakima, Washington, Judge Stanley Bastian issued a nationwide preliminary injunction demanding 14 states, which filed a separate lawsuit against the Trump administration and the U.S. Postal Service. Fourteen states, led by the Democratic Attorney General, have expressed concern that delays could lead voters to not receive ballots or registration forms in a timely manner.

Following a national uproar last month, President Donald Trump and GOP’s main donor, DJ, announced that some changes, including the removal of mailboxes, would be put on hold, but other changes remained.

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The story was written by Iris Samuels of the Associated Press / Report of the United States. Samuels is a Corps member for the Associated Press / Report on the US State House News Initiative. Reporting to the United States is a non-profit national service program that allows journalists to report secret issues in local newsrooms.