(CNN) The United States Postal Service removed 711 mail-sorting machines from postal facilities -- the highest level in at least four years -- according to new court testimony from top-ranking agency officials. Many postal service employees confirmed that the removal of outdated machines was routine, but raised concerns of doing so in an election year where millions of Americans are expected to vote by mail. The numbers in the court papers, provided by USPS official Jason DeChambeau, show this is the most machines removed since fiscal year 2016. The Postal Service removed an average of approximately 388 machines from facilities per year from 2015 through 2019. In fiscal year 2016, USPS removed more than 1,100 machines from across the country.

Source: CNN September 10, 2020 00:00 UTC