Shutterstock
In order to prevent the US Postal Service and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy from changing USPS protocols and policies head of November’s presidential election, a federal judge has issued a historic decision.
Judge Stanley Bastian in Eastern Washington’s US District Court decreed that Trump administration postal policies are harmful to voter’s ability to cast ballots for the upcoming election. He found the changes deliberately suppressive to voters.
“Although not necessarily apparent on the surface, at the heart of DeJoy’s and the Postal Service’s actions is voter disenfranchisement,” wrote Bastian.
“This is evident in President Trump’s highly partisan words and tweets, the actual impact of the changes on primary elections that resulted in uncounted ballots, and recent attempts and lawsuits by the Republican National Committee and President Trump’s campaign to stop the States’ efforts to bypass the Postal Service by utilizing ballot drop boxes, as well as the timing of the changes.
“It is easy to conclude that the recent Postal Services’ changes is an intentional effort on the part of the current Administration to disrupt and challenge the legitimacy of upcoming local, state, and federal elections, especially given that 72% of the … high speed mail sorting machines that were decommissioned were located in counties where Hillary Clinton received the most votes in 2016.”
In an earlier court hearing, Bastian said that DeJoy and President Trump “are involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service.”
Related: President Trump Blocks Funding to Post Office Over Mail-in Voting
As a result of the judge’s actions, the USPS must now undo all changes that have been made within the past few months by the new Postmaster General. Not only that, but all election mail must be treated as first-class, regardless of postage.
The order also states that the court must be notified of any requests to reconnect mail sorting machines within three days, including prior, current and future requests.
“If any post office, distribution center, or other postal facility will be unable to process election mail for the November 2020 election in accordance with First Class delivery standards because of the Postal Service’s recent removal and decommissioning of equipment, such equipment will be replaced, reassembled, or reconnected to ensure that the Postal Service can comply with its prior policy delivering election mail in accordance with First Class delivery standards,” states the decision.
During the proceedings, the judge remarked that it was “ironical,” that US attorneys saw no issue with going to polls to vote during a global pandemic, but insisted on arguing the case via videoconference. The election is slated to take place during a time when fall allergies are common, and people may mistake coronavirus symptoms for something more minor.
Related: Schumer Grills Postal Authority for Confirming DeJoy, a Wealthy GOP Mega-Donor
