Use these talking points when speaking with the public and the media about the postal service, how it relates to elections, issues of funding, and organizational changes to the USPS. Try to remember to spell out the acronym USPS to "United States Postal Service" or "US Postal Service" to maintain clarity for a wide audience.
For more on mail-in voting, see these helpful talking points:
Talking Points: Countering Attacks Related to Vote-by-Mail
Talking Points: Protecting and Expanding In-person Voting and Vote-by-mail
ELECTIONS
When speaking to members and the public and media about the role of USPS in elections:
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Due to the novel coronavirus, millions of voters will cast their ballots through the mail in 2020, which requires a fully functioning United States Postal Service to ensure voters have their voices heard.
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No voter should have to choose between their health and safety and exercising their constitutional right to vote because our government did not fully fund the mechanics that would support their choice to vote at home: the US Postal Service.
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The postal service plays a critical role in the electoral process every election cycle, safely carrying ballots to polling locations to make democracy work.
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For many voters, the postal service represents the only option to cast their ballots: Overseas servicemembers, Americans in rural communities, and people with disabilities have relied on the US Postal Service to cast their ballots in every election for more than two centuries.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES
Press release on LWV's latest lawsuit filed against the Postmaster General and USPS
League Statement on the Postmaster General’s Reversal of USPS Changes Until After 2020 Election
When addressing the changes made by the postmaster general:
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The League of Women Voters supports the US Postal Service, our mail carriers, and all postal workers.
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The US Postal Service is one of our nation’s oldest and most trusted institutions.
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The changes by the postmaster general did not yield an “improvement” as claimed, but rather undermined public trust in the mail system at a critical time, less than 100 days before a major election.
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The structural changes that the postmaster general has implemented are creating chaos that is drastically slowing down efficiency and services of post offices nationwide, including cutting hours of operation at local branches, changing longstanding delivery protocols, disbanding executives, cutting hours for postal workers, and eliminating equipment used to process mail.
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Even since the Postmaster General reversed his position, the damage is done.
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The changes caused delays and a backlog of mail delivery that many fear will affect the election.
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The changes sowed distrust among the American public in a time when they need to rely on USPS to participate in this election.
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USPS leadership must restore voter faith in our mail system by taking immediate steps to mitigate the damaging effects of these changes.
- The US Postal Service knows what is needed to deal with large influxes of mail. They do it every holiday season. USPS leadership should look to the regional postmasters and career postal workers to learn what is needed to serve the American people during this surge of mail ballots.
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If voter suppression is the machine, then the tactics that make it all work are the levers – ultimately creating different ways of executing suppression. What we are seeing from the postmaster general right now is nothing short of modern-day voter suppression.
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Voters are strongly encouraged to act early with their voting plan this year, whether it involves voting by mail or voting in person.
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VOTE411.org has timely updates and information related to voting options in all 50 states and DC.
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PIVOT (if you are asked about Trump or something political): The bottom line is that access to a safe, reliable ballot should be the top priority in any changes to USPS this year. Now that the previously announced initiatives will be suspended until after the election, the League will watch closely to make sure voters’ needs and safety are prioritized.
FUNDING
When speaking to members and the public and media about the urgent need to fund USPS:
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Undermining the postal service’s ability to do its work will deliver a serious blow to democracy.
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The postal service remains a trusted agency that has processed hundreds of millions of overseas and absentee ballots for decades, supporting five states with completely mail-in elections every cycle.
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Just as it does for traditionally busy times like the holiday season and Mother’s Day, the postal service can scale their work around elections.
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On August 22, in a bipartisan vote, the U.S. House passed the Delivering for America Act, which will invest $25 billion in the Postal Service and prevent the Postmaster General from implementing additional changes to services before the November 2020 election. It is now up to the U.S. Senate to act.
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The League of Women Voters supports funding levels for the postal service in the U.S. House HEROES Act, which includes assurance that every voter can access no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail in federal elections.
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Congress must fully fund this government agency and protect our mail infrastructure, ensuring elections in the United States remain free, fair, and accessible.
When meeting with USPS officials
The League has these asks of regional post offices around the country:
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The League asks USPS to commit to delivering ballots, regardless of postage, to boards of elections.
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The League asks USPS to clearly outline how postmarking will be handled for the general election when ballots are dropped at on-site locations or in a letter box.
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The League asks USPS to make recommendations to voters on how to mail their ballot prior to Election Day to be appropriately accepted and marked by the USPS.
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The Leagues asks that this information be published on USPS.com and that the USPS prioritizes specific training and instructions for postal carriers around ballot acceptance and delivery.