Rounds Requests South Dakotans Submit Complaints with Postal Service
Office of the Inspector General is requesting first-hand accounts of poor mail service in South Dakota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) is requesting that South Dakotans submit comments to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) detailing the issues they are having with the United States Postal Service (USPS). As part of their investigation in South Dakota at Rounds’ request, OIG is asking for first-hand accounts of poor mail service.
“My office continues to hear from South Dakotans on a daily basis about the issues they’re experiencing with mail delivery,” said Rounds. “At my request, the Office of the Inspector General has opened an investigation into South Dakota’s postal service. They are currently soliciting feedback from South Dakotans as a part of this investigation. I encourage anyone experiencing issues with their postal service to submit a comment to help paint a full picture of USPS problems in our state.”
OIG is taking comments from South Dakotans until July 26, 2026. Click HERE to submit feedback.
BACKGROUND:
Rounds has been a leader on USPS issues in South Dakota, leading the push to keep local processing facilities in South Dakota. In April 2024, Rounds sent a letter to USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging USPS to avoid downsizing or significantly reorganizing mail processing operations in South Dakota. As a result, in February 2025, USPS committed to keeping the Dakota Central processing facility in Huron open, as well as investing $3 million in improvements to the facility. Rounds also secured a commitment from former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to keep mail that originates within South Dakota from leaving the state for processing.
In September 2025, Rounds sent a letter to new Postmaster General David Steiner urging him to restore reliable mail service and requesting a meeting. Rounds and Steiner met in October. Steiner followed up on the meeting with a letter dismissing the issues raised by Rounds, claiming that the mail delays were caused by issues at processing facilities in Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City despite none of these facilities handling South Dakota’s intrastate mail. USPS leadership continues to deny any issues with South Dakota’s mail service despite the first-hand accounts from South Dakotans that say otherwise.
In December 2025, Rounds requested an investigation into persistent issues with USPS delivery in South Dakota. In April 2026, Rounds was notified that the Office of the Inspector General was on the ground in South Dakota to investigate mail service. In June 2026, Rounds sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs announcing his intention to place a hold on all USPS nominees until South Dakota’s issues are resolved.
###