CBS 58 Investigates: USPS audit blames mail carrier and label problems for spring election mail problems

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Postal Service Inspector General found a mail carrier's inattentiveness and problematic ballot labels led to some election mail being delayed or undelivered before Wisconsin's spring election.

Among the Inspector General's findings:

After the the election, three tubs of ballots from Appleton and Oshkosh were found at the Milwaukee sorting center after the polls closed on Election Day. The audit found Appleton used a third party mailer to deliver those ballots, which weren't delivered to the Postal Service until 6 p.m. the night of the election, too late to sort and deliver.

There were also problems in Fox Point.

One hundred and sixty ballots were returned to the clerk's office without any explanation at the time. The Inspector General found a mail carrier screwed up, she didn't verify the addresses to ensure she was delivering them to the right place.

The Inspector General also found an issue with Fox Point's labels.

Sorting center employees told the IG the labels confused the sorting machines, which sent an undetermined number of ballots to the wrong locations.

Postal Service management responded to the audit saying it would continue working with the Wisconsin Elections Commission as well as individual elections offices to sort out label design and other problems. That could present a challenge in the Milwaukee area because the USPS election coordinator oversees 1,400 elections offices.

Read the full audit here.