Upcoming Audit Work

The U.S. Postal Service is responsible for processing, transporting, and delivering the nation’s Election and Political Mail. Election Mail is any mailpiece that an authorized election official creates for voters participating in the election process and includes ballots and voter registration materials. Political Mail is any mailpiece created by a registered political candidate, a campaign committee, or a committee of a political party for political campaign purposes. The U.S. Postal Service has specific policies and procedures on the proper acceptance, processing, delivery, and recording of Election and Political Mail. Our objective is to evaluate the U.S. Postal Service’s readiness for timely processing and delivery of Election and Political Mail for the 2026 mid-term election. 

The Postal Service must thoroughly screen and evaluate prospective employees to ensure suitability and maintain the integrity of the organization. The level of clearance required is based on the type of position; however, most positions are considered low risk and require a background investigation called a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI). Our objective is to assess the U.S. Postal Service’s employee background screening process to determine whether the Postal Service properly granted NACI clearances to employees.

The Postal Service categorizes employees into two primary groups: career and pre-career. Career employees receive a full range of benefits while pre-career employees do not yet have permanent status and do not receive full employee benefits.

As mentioned in its 10-Year Delivering For America Plan (DFA), the Postal Service began to increase the number of employees converted from pre-career to career positions. However, this increased compensation costs for the Postal Service. Our objective is to assess the financial and service-related impacts of the Postal Service's employee composition.

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA) amended portions of Title 39 U.S.C. regarding maximum compensation limits for employees, executives, and officers. The Postal Service has limited ability to pay specific executives over the maximum amount allowed by the executive schedule, either through bonuses or additional pay authority. Our objective is to determine whether the U.S. Postal Service complied with applicable maximum total compensation provisions of the Postal Accountability Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA) and related Postal Service policies and guidelines for calendar year (CY) 2025.

In fiscal year 2025, the Postal Service spent over $15 billion through contracts to buy a wide variety of products and services, ranging from delivery vehicles to common office supplies. Contracts specify the business requirements, price, payment arrangement, and other terms and conditions for procurement. Given the amount of funds spent and the missions these contracts support, it is critical that Postal Service procurement leaders manage their specific portfolios effectively. The objective of our audit is to evaluate the Postal Service’s oversight of its contracts, including pre-award and post-award processes.