US Postal Service’s Ability to Deliver in November Questioned
A recent report by the R Street Institute, a conservative think tank, claimed that without adequate funding, “mail service would likely stop and this would be a disaster for any election that relies on vote by mail.”
The Postal Service estimated at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic that it would need $75 billion to operate throughout the rest of the year. But the USPS is not necessarily in such a vulnerable position at this point because the actual loss in revenue was not as severe as initial projections, said Nick Zaiac, the report’s author.
“The Postal Service, right now, is more or less on the same trajectory it was … but it has not faced the absolute catastrophe that was thrown around at the beginning [of the pandemic],” Zaiac told WhoWhatWhy.
Solutions
If the USPS decides to delay certain delivery services, especially as a result of local outbreaks of the coronavirus, there are several ways that voters can ensure their ballots are returned in a timely manner.
Prior to receiving their ballot, voters should do their research on the candidates and issues and be prepared to return their ballot quickly, Zaiac suggested.
“Don’t wait until the day before Election Day,” he said.
Another option is for voters to personally deliver their ballots to their local ballot drop-off location. This option eases the burden on the Postal Service, especially where there are localized coronavirus outbreaks.
Local election officials are also preparing drop-off boxes at in-person polling locations for use by voters who cannot return their ballots before Election Day.
“Any way that a state is allowing people to return ballots outside the postal stream is going to take pressure off the USPS to make sure that it does its job,” Zaiac said.