Our need for a postal service, to bind the country together, is explicitly outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Article I, Section 8, says: “The Congress shall have power to... establish post offices and post roads.” Yet the Postal Service is required to pay its own way—an expectation we do not have of other essential governmental services, like FEMA, the Department of Defense or the FDA.
The USPS has, for over two hundred years, been a vital national service (and for many reasons not related to absentee voting, including the delivery of life-saving medicine). The American people recognize this; the USPS earned a 91% approval rating from the public as recent as April 2020—a high among federal agencies and the result of overwhelming bipartisan support. It remains especially essential THIS year, with a national election occurring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few weeks ago, news broke that the new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, was implementing dramatic cuts and changes to the U.S. Postal Service virtually on the eve of the nationwide vote. To say this was alarming would be an understatement: a weakened Postal Service would result in slower mail processing, with dire ramifications for the integrity of our democracy.
In response to widespread outrage, the postmaster general said he’ll halt some of those changes.
However, this statement was inadequate and did not properly address the threat to the election. Serious questions and concerns remain.
DeJoy's statement last week essentially said that no more changes will be made at USPS. However, the steps he already took have had the effect of slowing the mail, including official election mail. The changes that have already been made need to be reversed.
One of the greatest concerns is that of the removal from service a significant number of sorting machines (which sort and prioritize large volumes of mail per hour). Hundreds of these essential machines have been removed and DeJoy has confirmed that he does not intend to replace them. The potential impact on battleground states in the upcoming election appears to be startling. According to USPS data, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania face among the largest reductions in sorting capacity. The Washington Post has a map that you really need to see for yourself.
If these actions were taken to save money, it is the wrong time to be saving money.
Additionally, DeJoy has not unequivocally confirmed that USPS is going to maintain its longstanding historical norm of treating election mail as first-class mail, to help ensure that it is delivered promptly. These and related concerns must be addressed immediately—there is no time to lose and failure to act is unacceptable.
Delaying the delivery and return of ballots is wrong, no matter why the changes were initiated. It is a form of voter suppression.
Congress is holding hearings to get to the bottom of this. The Senate held its hearing on Friday, and the House is holding its hearing right now.
What must be done? The most important solutions will likely be to restore sorting machines, authorize overtime when needed to pick up and deliver all mail, and to reinstate the norm of treating official Election Mail as first-class mail, giving it a priority.
I have shared a lot of concerning news, but I want to end on an encouraging note. You can still vote absentee! Absentee voters should request and return their ballots as soon as possible, to avoid any potential delays. It is a safe and secure way to vote. If you need or want to vote absentee, make a plan now; don't wait until right before Election Day.
Since Ben Franklin's time of service as our first postmaster general, the USPS has served as a public trust. The core of its responsibility is to serve and connect everyone. USPS belongs to all of us.
When functioning properly, USPS is fully capable of handling enormous volumes of mail. It does it every December for the holidays, and its workers have performed well in the midst of the pandemic. Now, it must have the resources to do the job this fall.
Sincerely,
Trevor Potter
President, Campaign Legal Center
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