Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
No. of Recommendations: 12
As another Democracy Docket post informs us, the Postal Service appears to be enabling Trump’s attacks on voting by mail, “breaking from its decades-long history as a neutral, nonpartisan carrier of U.S. election mail.” Trump’s March 2026 executive order had mandated that the USPS only send mail ballots to voters on lists created and controlled by the federal government.
Postal workers have denounced the dystopian proposal, but mail-in voting is highly threatening to authoritarians because it allows people to vote their conscience in the privacy of their homes, and lets them avoid in-person harassment and intimidation.
From Italian Fascist blackshirts “helping” people decide to vote for Mussolini (in the years before he declared dictatorship) while brandishing clubs and knives, to referendums staged in military dictatorships where soldiers patrol ballot boxes, to Steve Bannon encouraging armed individuals, whether ICE or civilians, to “surround the polls come November,” extremists know that spreading the idea that voting can be physically dangerous can depress turnout.
All of those intimidation opportunities are taken away if people vote by mail.
Marc recommends making sure you are registered to vote, and contacting your elected representatives to express your objections to the Postal Service lending itself to authoritarian agendas.
But there is also another thing you can do.
“Every time a government agency proposes a rule change, it is required to notify the public and accept feedback. The comment period for the USPS rule change is now open to July 2, providing you with a direct way to bring your concerns straight to the agency. You can submit comments online or mail them to: Director, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015.”
Of course, our resident fascists will claim , without a scintilla of evidence (but plenty of allegations) that if it wasn’t for hordes of illegal voters, Democrats wouldn’t win elections.
There’s a reason Trump’s lawyers made all sorts of allegations about illegal voters to the press- but never provided any actual evidence in court.
No. of Recommendations: 3
No. of Recommendations: 10
Quibble. They hate voting. Period. Voting means they might not get their way, and they can't stand that. Which is why most authoritarian regimes have some combination of vetted candidates (anyone who wins is acceptable), one candidate (the leader), no vote at all, or a counter who gives the leader 90+% of the vote without bothering to do an actual count.
No. of Recommendations: 2
I’m just trying to figure out: does the US mail service even have the right to decide which mail to deliver and which not to?
No. of Recommendations: 2
I’m just trying to figure out: does the US mail service even have the right to decide which mail to deliver and which not to?
Using the US Mail to perpetrate a fraud is a Federal crime. God on Earth Trump says mail in ballots are inherently fraudulent. The Post Office has it's own police force, the Postal Inspectors, to investigate and prosecute misuse of the mail. There have been certain items that have been banned from the mail. Recall, a year or two ago, there was a push to make it illegal to ship RU486 pills through the mail. So, yes, it probably would be possible to require the Post Office to refuse to handle ballots. Such a law or authoritarian decree would be challenged in court, but his nibs is expert at keeping things tied up in litigation, for years.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 1
... does the US mail service even have the right to decide which mail to deliver and which not to?
No, but when has that ever stopped this president? With some exceptions such illegal materials, certain weapons and drugs, porn, etc. the postmaster (and president) does not have that right: and with the exceptions set by statute, the Constitution leaves elections to the states in "times, places, and manner" of its choosing. Also there are some states, Oregon and Colorado from what I recall, that only use mail for elections.
Pete
