Cartoon by Steve Greenberg

US Postal Service row: What is it about?

BBC: Slower mail delivery times in the US have raised concerns about how one of the oldest and most trusted institutions in the US - the Postal Service - can handle an unprecedented influx of mail-in ballots in November's election.

This year fewer voters are expected to vote in-person amid the coronavirus pandemic, in which the US has seen the highest number of deaths and infections in the world.

That drop-off is expected to lead to an unprecedented influx of voters submitting their ballot by mail.

It's up to states to determine how they arrange postal voting and there are mounting fears that some are not ready.

What are Democrats' concerns?

A political appointee recently hired by President Donald Trump to run the US Postal Service (USPS) has been accused by top Democrats of implementing changes to how mail is processed in a deliberate effort to "sabotage the election".

Republicans and Mr Trump counter that the new measures are needed to address the agency's multi-million dollar budget shortfall. Mr Trump has said the price tag for emergency funds requested by Congress to shore up mail-in voting is too expensive and will lead to voter fraud.

Last week, he told Fox News he was blocking $25bn in the latest draft coronavirus relief bill in order to prevent the expansion of voting by mail.

Meanwhile, delivery times on everything from postcards to medicines have already slowed and Congress has recalled lawmakers to Washington to address the growing crisis.

Is there evidence of an intentional slowdown?

In May, Republican megadonor Louis DeJoy was tapped by the White House to be the first postmaster general in more than 20 years to not come from within the agency's own ranks.

Seeking to address the $160bn (£122bn) budget shortfall at the USPS, in July Mr Dejoy implemented several new measures which have come under scrutiny.

US media report that more than 600 mail sorting machines are being decommissioned head of the presidential election this November.

This would represent around 10% of the service's machines, but the Postal Service has said it "routinely moves equipment around its network as necessary to match changing mail and package volumes".

The amount of mail has been down so far this year, but there are concerns the reduction in machines - which process millions of pieces of mail per hour - could limit the handling capacity of postal ballots in the build-up to the election.

Postal unions have confirmed some machines have already been removed, but President Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows says no more will be extracted from service ahead of the election.

The option of overtime for employees is also being restricted, and additional trips to ensure mail is delivered on time have been axed.

The Postal Service says this is to save costs and improve efficiency, but employees say the move has led to delays >>>