Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor… Misinformation

There’s a lot of chatter going on about a nefarious plot by the administration to undermine the upcoming election by crippling the USPS. So I figured it might be a good idea to clarify some things about the way the service works.

First off, while it’s true that the USPS is in financial trouble (it lost $8.8 billion in 2019, its 13th consecutive year operating at a loss), it’s not in any immediate danger of shutting down. The service has “sufficient liquidity,” according to its most recent quarterly report, “to continue operating through at least August 2021.”

Next, pictures have been going around showing mailboxes loaded onto trucks. This led to the idea that Trump was having mailboxes removed in order to make it more difficult for people to vote by mail. Fact is, the USPS often moves mailboxes around, on a case-by-case basis, as part of its regular routine. Due to this misconception, however, the service has opted to pause this activity.

Lastly, keep in mind that the USPS  has never been able to guarantee a delivery date for any mail, so there’s no guarantee that all mail-in ballots – especially those posted last-minute – can be delivered in time to be counted. No matter what you’re mailing, you have to take ordinary delivery delays into consideration.

Hopefully this eases some concerns you may have had about voting by mail. Even so, assuming you have the option, I’d still say that in-person voting is best. After all, if you had a winning lottery ticket, would you mail it in… or put on your running shoes?