Save the USPS and the 2020 Election
“During this pandemic, anyone who believes in the right to vote should enthusiastically embrace voting by mail.” - American Postal Workers Union
Last November, we called you to action to stop voter suppression. With less than three months until the 2020 general election, we have a new concern: Republicans are trying to destroy the United States Postal Service (USPS), and with it, the ability for millions of Americans to cast their vote during a deadly pandemic.
Are you settled in for this sordid tale?
Photo by Pope Moysuh on Unsplash
Throughout President Obama’s tenure, he struggled to have appointees confirmed in the Senate. This problem only grew worse in 2015 when Republicans regained control of the Senate. While perhaps this obstruction most infamously manifested in judicial appointments--particularly the attempt to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court--there was another critical area where his appointments were blocked: the USPS Board of Governors. By the time Obama left office, for the first time in its history, there were zero governors on the Board.
Since President Trump took office, he has appointed all six members of the USPS Board of Governors, as well as the Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, who took office in June 2020. Senate Republicans had no issues getting Trump’s appointments through.
Wasting no time, in July DeJoy issued a memo that “difficult” changes would be coming to the USPS to pay down its debt*, including implementing a practice of leaving mail behind if it would delay drivers and cutting overtime. (Union workers say they weren’t consulted about these changes.) In early August, DeJoy reassigned or removed nearly two dozen leaders within USPS. Internal USPS documents surfaced stating plans to remove hundreds of mail processing machines across the country, and postal workers have told reporters they’ve personally witnessed millions of dollars in machinery being destroyed or thrown in the trash. Just last week, people began reporting USPS mailboxes disappearing across several states. The outcry forced the USPS to announce they would halt removals until after the election, although as of this weekend, mailboxes were still being removed and others were being locked.
Unsurprisingly, since these “cost-saving” measures have gone into place, small businesses who rely on the USPS for shipping have reported significant delays for their products. Mail-order medications, as well as rent and utility payments, have been delayed. In some areas, people have reported not receiving mail at all for weeks. USPS workers unions began raising the alarm about the delays impacting primary ballots being counted and fears for the general election in November. The USPS officially confirmed those concerns, warning 46 states that the USPS may not be able to process ballots in time to be counted.
The HEROES Act passed by the House of Representatives in May, containing a $25 billion bailout for the post office, would help address the funding concern through the election. This legislation currently languishes on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s desk (same guy who has been unable to get his party to rally behind any additional coronavirus spending.) As for the president, Trump has promised to veto any bailout funding for the USPS, explicitly tying it to a desire to prevent people from voting this fall: “If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting; they just can’t have it.”
The USPS and the right to vote are both guaranteed in our Constitution. Dismantling the USPS to prevent people from voting in the midst of a deadly pandemic which, to date, has killed 172,000 Americans is a direct attack on the Constitution, our rights, and our democracy.
*USPS’ debt is itself a manufactured crisis, thanks to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA), which mandated that in the following 10 years the USPS needed to fund its pension 75 years in advance. Since then, the USPS has been required to save billions each year and put the money toward its pension fund. The USPS defaulted on this payment in 2012 and has never caught up. Instead, it must take out a low (but not zero) interest loan from the U.S. Treasury each year to cover the difference. Unlike any other government service, USPS isn’t covered by tax dollars, but is entirely self-funded. The HEROES Act would provide a $25 billion grant--not loan--to the USPS.
The American Postal Workers Union has been leading the fight to protect the USPS and the 2020 election. They have issued statements condemning the president’s attacks on the USPS and voting rights, made more than 30,000 calls to Congress, and provided a ton of resources so others can join the fight to Save the Post Office.
Call your Senators and demand they pass a stimulus bill that includes $25 billion in emergency funding and provide hazard pay to postal workers. You can use the APWU flyer: English | Spanish
Write a letter to your Senators demanding additional funding for the USPS.
If you’ve been impacted by mail delays, or if you need access to mail-in voting in November and are concerned about your ability to vote, record a video sharing your story and send it to the APWU.
Follow the APWU on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter and amplify their efforts.
Join over a million others and sign this petition to Save the USPS.
Call your members of Congress to demand they investigate this issue and hold hearings with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and other relevant officials, including issuing a subpoena if that is what’s necessary to get them to attend. Dial (202) 224-3121 to be directed to your representatives.
You can also call your members of Congress in support of the USPS Fairness Act, which would end the pre-funding requirements of the PAEA.
Check your voter registration and ensure you’re registered to vote in November.
If you are comfortable voting in person, take advantage of early voting in your state. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and maintain a safe distance.
If you aren’t comfortable voting in person, request your mail-in ballot early (state-by-state deadlines for requesting mail-in ballots are here), use ballot drop boxes if available in your state, and if you must use USPS, get it in the mail as early as possible to ensure it arrives at its destination in time to be counted.
Call on your state’s Secretary of State and county election officials to offer/increase ballot drop boxes.
If you can and feel comfortable, volunteer to be a poll worker to ensure we have plenty of in-person voting options.
Check out our 2019 issue on voter suppression and take the actions listed to fight voter suppression in the U.S. and ensure every American over the age of 18 has the ability to vote.
Share this post with your friends and family.
Find us on Instagram @LinkedandLoud and #LinkedandLoud, and let us know how you’ve taken action.
References
Angry GOP Senate freezes out Obama nominees | Politico
And Then There Were None |USPS Office of the Inspector General
Trump’s assault on postal service attacks much more than voting | Philadelphia Inquirer
Board of Governors Announces Selection of Louis DeJoy to Serve as Nation’s 75th Postmaster General | USPS
Postal Service memos detail ‘difficult’ changes, including slower mail delivery | Philadelphia Inquirer
Critics Say Changes To USPS May Completely Transform The Post Office | NPR
Organizational changes at Postal Service come amid slowdown concerns | NBC News
Internal USPS Documents Outline Plans to Hobble Mail Sorting | Vice
The Post Office’s Great Mail Slowdown Is Hurting Small Businesses | Vice
Postal workers’ union says up to 80,000 letters held back on Monday in Southern Maine | CentralMaine.com
Postal service says mail delays caused by staffing issues, pandemic | WDRB
Late deliveries, missing mail: Hundreds of Salinas residents want answers from USPS | The Californian
Southeast DC residents go weeks without mail being delivered | WUSA9
Postal Service Backlog Sparks Worries that Ballot Delivery Could Be Delayed in November | Washington Post
Postal Service Warns 46 States Their Voters Could Be Disenfranchised | Washington Post
Heroes Act Would Provide USPS Emergency Financial Relief and Hazard Pay | National Association of Postal Supervisors
Trump admits he’s blocking postal cash to stop mail-in votes | Charlotte Observer
How George Bush broke the Post Office | The Week
Why The USPS Is A Controversial Player In The Second Stimulus Bill | Forbes