NEW: @jacobbogage got USPS data showing at least 671 USPS mail sorting machines have been removed across the country since June. Represents a reduction in national mail sorting capacity of 21.4 million pieces of mail per hour. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-...

The removals represent about 10 percent of the USPS stock of sorting machines. Removals are happening in every state but Alaska. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-...

A number of cities in key swing states -- Houston TX, Pontiac MI, and Columbus OH -- have been affected by some of the biggest losses in sorting capacity. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-...

One word of caution. A lot of folks are looking at the map and saying these removals are targeted at Dem. strongholds. We don& #39;t know that. Dem. strongholds tend to be population centers. The removals may simply be following population patterns.

But on the other hand we don& #39;t *not* know that either because USPS hasn& #39;t provided any clear public rationale for why they& #39;re doing what they& #39;re doing.

At the very least, making this kind of radical overhaul to a critical system in an unprecedented election year seems like a very iffy proposition. It& #39;s not clear why all these changes have to be done *right now*, rather than postponing them a year given the pandemic.