The USPS is in Jeopardy:
Here are 5 Ways You Can Help

The USPS is in Jeopardy: Here are 5 Ways You Can HelpThe United States Postal Service is in trouble and if we don’t act now, it could adversely affect the 2020 election. Perhaps you’ve noticed a significant slowdown in mail delivery in the past few weeks, or you’ve seen the recent news that Trump denied a $25 billion emergency funding grant to aid the struggling institution as part of the second pending COVID-19 relief bill. By opposing providing financial aid to the USPS, Trump is basically admitting that he wants to make voting more difficult in November. Slower delivery could result in voter ballots not being received on time in 46 states.

In addition to the threat to our voting rights, without the USPS, vulnerable people and places will suffer. Small businesses in rural and tribal lands where FedEx and UPS do not have access, seniors who rely on medicine through the mail and low-income individuals all rely on an operational Postal Service. Close to 100,000 military members and veterans are employed by the USPS and could lose their jobs.

Significant issues arose when Trump appointed one of his major campaign donors, Louis DeJoy, as postmaster general back in May. DeJoy displaced top USPS leadership, eliminated employee overtime and enacted extreme cost-cutting measures, allegedly to hamper operations at Trump’s request. These actions have widely affected the efficiency of the Postal Service, and if you haven’t already noticed, significantly slowed down our mail delivery.

The USPS is in Jeopardy: Here are 5 Ways You Can Help

If you’re frustrated by what’s happening with the USPS and are concerned about your mail in ballot not being received on time in November (if you’re not worried, you should be!), here are five things you can do right now to help save the USPS.
 

Contact Your Senators and Representatives
Call them, email them or tweet at them. I’ve drafted a quick tweet that you can simply copy and paste on Twitter – just make sure you change it to include your Senator or Rep’s Twitter handle:

Hi @SenatorMyState! We must protect the USPS as our country relies on their services, especially seniors, low income and vulnerable people. I am counting on you to be vocal and take action in saving our USPS. #protecttheusps #savetheusps

You can also text USPS to 50409 and Resistbot will send letters to your Senators.
 

Buy Stamps!
The USPS gets much of its funding through stamps and other merchandise they sell directly. There’s lots of good stuff available online. These 19th Amendment: Women Vote are my current favorite, and I’m also partial to the Voices of Harlem Renaissance and the Save Vanishing Species stamps. These Global Chrysanthemum stamps are also beautiful.
You can also get your kids a mail carrier costume for Halloween, and there’s one for Fido, too, so he won’t feel left out.
 

Sign a Petition
There are tons of petitions available to sign, including Change.org, Common Cause, as well as the We the People petition that’s called Save the United States Postal Service. You can find more information about petitions and awareness campaigns at SavethePostOffice.com.
 

Register to Vote & Vote Early if You Can
Your vote matters now more than ever. If you haven’t done so already, register here.
If you’re able to vote by mail, make sure you vote early – at least 2-3 weeks before November 3rd. Every state is different, so make sure you check your state’s voting rules and regulations. Vote Save America is a great resource for all of this information. Scroll to the section on voting by state, select your state and voilá, you’ll be directed to resources, FAQ’s and all of the info you need.
 

Support Organizations Fighting to End Voter Suppression
Organizations like the ACLU, When We All Vote and Fair Fight are actively fighting voter suppression across the country. Support them by making a donation – or better yet, donate and get involved!
 

The USPS is in Jeopardy: Here are 5 Ways You Can Help

Please share this information with everyone you know. You can share a link to this post on social media to make it easy for everyone to get informed: https://www.shebrand.com/save-the-usps. Our democracy is at stake.

Speak Your Mind

*