As voters worried whether a slowed-down U.S. Postal Service could handle a surge of mailed ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Howard Center partnered with USA Today to measure mail performance in real time in critical swing states. They sent packages each week containing GPS units about the size of a fun-size Snickers bar and tracked their journey in both Democratic- and Republican-leaning areas in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. Since the GPS units made the envelopes heavier than a standard ballot, reporters also used ordinary letters sent by certified mail with the bar codes logging each step from a mailbox to a location near an election office.

Around the country, scientists are sounding the alarm about saltwater intrusion. But this investigation found the responses on the ground are sometimes inadequate and may not be sustainable because they run up against economic pressures from development, farming and tourism. Meanwhile, invading saltwater is resculpting the East Coast, threatening drinking water and driving farmers from their land.