Terri Sewell

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, is demanding the United States Postal Service immediately reopen the Akron Post Office after it was abruptly shuttered on Oct. 14, just weeks before the November midterm election.

In a letter dated Oct. 16, 2026, and addressed to Postmaster General David Steiner and Senior Vice President Benjamin Kuo, Sewell said her office was informed that USPS chained the doors of the facility, began moving mail to Moundville and dismantled P.O. boxes.

Akron Mayor Christopher Rollins reported the closure to Sewell’s office.

The closure came 16 days earlier than the Oct. 30, 2026, date USPS had publicly announced to residents and local news outlets, according to the letter.

Sewell said the timing raises concerns about voters’ ability to receive and return absentee ballots before the Hale County deadline of Oct. 27, 2026.

USPS has claimed the closure resulted from failed lease negotiations on a five-year lease that expired in August 2026, according to the letter.

However, Sewell’s office said it has documentation showing the lessor agreed in writing to maintain the rental rate established in August 2021 for an additional five years through 2031.

The congresswoman also disputed USPS’s claim that the lessor issued a notice requiring USPS to vacate the property by Oct. 30.

According to the letter, the lessor has explicitly denied issuing such a notice.

Sewell’s office allegedly received photographs showing the post office interior had been fully dismantled within 24 hours of the closure, including the removal of residents’ P.O. boxes.

USPS had told her office the early closure was necessary to allow sufficient time to vacate the premises.

The letter stated that P.O. box holders received no instructions on how to retrieve their mail at the Moundville location, leaving residents uncertain about accessing essential correspondence including ballots, Social Security checks, medications and bills.

Sewell questioned whether the closure violates procedural requirements under 39 CFR § 241.3, which require advance public notice and community input before permanently discontinuing postal services.

While USPS characterized the closure as temporary, the congresswoman said the complete dismantling of the facility raises questions about whether USPS circumvented the required discontinuance process.

“USPS must understand that this failure is unacceptable and that we will take action to ensure that Akron residents are not denied access to their mail or their vote, full stop,” Sewell said in a video posted to Facebook Thursday.

Sewell requested USPS respond in writing by Oct. 19 and immediately reopen the Akron Post Office.

She also demanded explanations for the decision-making process behind the closure, a written copy of any notice to vacate, and documentation demonstrating USPS’s compliance with federal regulations.

Sewell specifically requested details on actions being taken to ensure election mail present at the Akron Post Office on Oct. 14 is protected, processed and delivered to Hale County Absentee Election Manager Catrinna Perry.

USPS representatives told AL.com in an email Friday that the postal service “communicates directly with elected officials and does not share information on those interactions.”

“We will provide a written response directly to the Congresswoman, per our established process,” the email read.

Heather Gann is a breaking news and Birmingham metro reporter for AL.com. Prior to her role in breaking news, Gann covered any issues that directly impacted Birmingham metro area residents for The Birmingham... more

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