WASHINGTON (WIVB) – A lawsuit field in August by the attorneys general of New York, Hawaii, and New Jersey, as well as New York City and San Francisco claims four Erie County communities have been directly impacted by changes to the post office, which began in June.

According to the suit:

• “On July 11, 2020, no letter mail was delivered in the hamlets of Bowmansville, Depew, or the town of Lancaster. On a typical day, these localities collectively receive approximately 80,000 pieces of mail.”
• “In late July 2020, no letter mail was delivered in the hamlet of Depew or in the town of Lancaster.”
• “Between August 10–12, 2020, 173 Express Mail parcels were not delivered to customers in the Buffalo region. Due to Express Mail warranty requirements, customers may seek a refund for late delivery. At a minimum rate of $26 per Express Mail parcel, this amounts to approximately $4,400.00 owed to customers for those days alone.”
• “On August 11, 2020, approximately 36,000 pieces of letter mail were not delivered in the town of East Amherst.”

New York State Attorney General Tish James claims the postal policy changes are an attempt to undermine the upcoming election, in which a record number of people could vote by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Sunday, the plaintiffs won a preliminary injunction, preventing the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing postal policy changes. Those include the removal of hundreds of mail sorting machines nationwide and a prohibition on extra trips for delivery.

Desai Abdul-Razzaaq, a spokesperson for USPS, had no comment on the lawsuit, injunction, or claims about postal service in Lancaster, Bowmansville, Depew, or East Amherst. However, he said delivering election mail is the agency’s number one priority.