Why would President Trump have it in for the U.S. Postal Service? Because it’s a roundabout way to suppress absentee or mail-in votes, and the more votes that are counted, the more likely he will be defeated.
In some states, this year thousands of mailed primary ballots were not delivered to voters or didn’t arrive in time to be counted. The much larger general election could be worse. And what about voters in some states who wait up to five hours to vote because their former polling places have been closed? Absentee voting could help them lots.
I have to admire Trump’s transparency on this issue. First, he withholds money appropriated by Congress for the USPS in the CARES Act. Second, he appoints new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor and fundraiser. Third, DeJoy threatens to close rural post offices and curtails overtime pay even when essential work is at stake. These three things could prevent many mailed votes from being counted. The U.S. Constitution asks Congress to create our Postal Service. Bravo to Maine’s delegation, who support it!
Meanwhile, to ensure that your vote is counted, if you don’t choose to vote in person, pick up your absentee ballot early and deliver it to your town or city hall before Nov. 3. Don’t let Trump rig the election by disabling one of our most basic institutions – one that is directly mentioned in our Constitution.
Victoria Adams
Kennebunk
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