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U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to the Postmaster General Monday, Aug. 10 raising concerns that he’s heard directly from Virginians regarding delayed mail service following structural and operational changes at the Postal Service.

“I have heard from many of my constituents in Virginia that vital packages, including medicine, are being delayed and some constituents report that they are going days without any mail delivery at all. This sudden decline in USPS quality of service poses a significant hardship in the context of COVID-19, when so many Americans are depending on the mail for delivery of groceries, household necessities, and medications. Even in the best of times, many seniors, some people with disabilities, and those living in rural areas particularly rely on the Postal Service as a critical link to vital resources,” Warner wrote to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

In his letter, Sen. Warner also notes that like many Virginians, he worries that new policies that have already delayed mail delivery across the Commonwealth could also jeopardize timely distribution and processing of mail-in ballots for the upcoming November elections.