The United States Postal Service is notifying 45 states, including New Jersey, that the mail may not be quick enough to get all mail-in ballots counted by state deadlines this November.

This has prompted some Democratic lawmakers to demand action by the Nov. 3 election.

“Never have I seen a president play politics with the Postal Service or make the mail a partisan issue,” says Sen. Bob Menendez.

The senator and Gov. Phil Murphy are doing their part to reassure New Jersey voters and plan for a November election like no other because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Voting in New Jersey will be done mostly – but not completely – by mail.

“We quarantine at least 50% voting capacity in-person per county. Guarantee at least one physical location per municipality,” Murphy said.

In his hometown of Union City, Sen. Menendez fired back at President Donald Trump as the president continues to express his distrust of the vote-by-mail system.

“Trying to undermine the credibility of the election. In either case, this is now what our democracy is about,” Menendez said.

But Trump said that he has encouraged the Postal Service to speed up, not slow down the mail.

Menendez and other Democrats have said that a lack of overtime for letter carriers, fewer mailboxes and sorting machines, means that the Postal Service is being slowed down just as it expects to process a surge in mail-in ballots in November.

“I’ve heard from so many constituents across New Jersey. Some have been waiting weeks for life-saving medication or diabetes supplies. Think about New Jersey families who receive a check. A veteran, someone on Social Security and received them by mail and need them to pay their mortgage and utility bills,” Menendez said.

The governor says that ballots will be mailed to all registered voters no later than Oct. 5. Once the voter received a ballot, they have several options.

“Fill it out and mail it back. Fill it out and drop it in a secure lockbox in your county. Fill it out and walk in on Election Day and hand it to a poll worker,” Murphy said. “I suppose you also have the option of not voting, but we’re asking everyone to please vote.”

Menendez said that any new COVID-19 stimulus package must also include more funding for the Postal Service.