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The 2020 election is likely to have a greater focus than ever on mail-in voting. While it’s been largely eclipsed in the news lately, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. However, by the fall, many epidemiologists worry that the novel coronavirus could make a serious comeback. This could be catastrophic for the 2020 election process if widespread mail-in voting hasn’t been adopted by much of the country.
A series of obstacles stand between the country and complete mail-in voting equality, however. The primary antagonist is President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly made false claims that mail-in voting is prone to fraud. Last week, Trump repeated these claims on Twitter, prompting the social media site to append a fact checking label to his tweets.
Another major obstacle for mail-in voting? The post office is getting low on money. The reasons for this are complicated, but mostly boil down to a 2005 decision that forces the USPS to pre-fund pensions for workers, including future workers who haven’t even been born yet. This is, understandably, expensive. However, it’s a contentious agreement with Amazon that is in Trump’s sights.
Even while some mail carriers are most concerned about getting the best SUV for mileage, others are worried about the future of their job. The USPS is seriously strapped for cash. The outgoing postmaster general has warned that the organization may run out of money in 2020. While this would be distressing in any time, it’s catastrophic during a pandemic.
President Trump believes the USPS is an artifact. Private couriers outperform USPS all the time. Thus, the president has not been subtle in his assertions that the USPS should be privatized. To that end, he even wants an agreement between Amazon and the USPS. Per their current agreement, the postal service carries Amazon’s packages at a discounted rate.
Should Trump target that agreement, it could force Amazon to go through a private courier. If FedEx or UPS were to secure a contract like the USPS’s, it could spell disaster for the federal postal service. Since USPS doesn’t receive any tax revenue, they are dependent on stamp sales to stay afloat.
Does Trump’s disdain for the postal service stem from his erroneous beliefs regarding mail-in voting? Some pundits think so. Despite there being no evidence, Trump believes that mail-in voting is more prone to fraud. In fact, studies have shown that mail-in ballots are actually fraud-resistant. This hasn’t stopped Trump from loudly asserting that the opposite is true, however.
