How to help the USPS — and why it matters

The United States Postal Service is in trouble.

You may have noticed that it’s taking longer to receive letters and packages through the USPS. You may have also seen that your social media timeline is in an uproar over the Trump administration’s efforts to gut the Constitutionally-enshrined institution. 

President Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting will lead to voter fraud, without any evidence.  He’s also refused to financially aid the USPS during the pandemic, Business Insider reports. And this is all happening during the lead-up to the November election, where many people are relying on mail-in ballots due to the pandemic.  

On Thursday, during an interview with Fox Business, Trump said: “They [the USPS] need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.”

He continued: “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.” Confusingly, that same day Trump said he would sign legislation that included funding for the post office during the coronavirus press conference.

Even before Trump, the USPS was in a financial shortfall. It lost $69 billion during the past 11 years, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. A lot of that has to do with a 2006 law that put the USPS at a competitive disadvantage.

Clearly, we all need to pitch in to help the flailing USPS and protect against government attempts to destabilize it. We’ve outlined a few ways you can do that below. Some take a couple minutes and others are a little more time intensive. 

1. Reach out to your congressional representatives

You’ve probably heard it before, but contacting your senators and representatives really does help push forward an issue. Remember, they depend on your votes to stay in office so they’re paid to care about what you care about. 

Call them, email them, or tweet at them. 

You can also rely on this handy bot that will sign a Change.org petition on your behalf and send it to your officials. All you have to do is text “USPS” to 50409. It literally takes two seconds. 

You can also sign the Center for American Progress’ petition.

Remember: It’s not just voters and people who like to send letters who rely on the USPS. It’s also senior citizens who need their medication and low-income people who depend on low-cost mailing and banking options. The USPS can even be a lifeline for homeless people who count on social services.

2. Shout it from the rooftops

Now is not the time to shut your mouth. Post on social media to tell people what the issue is and why the USPS is important. Talk about it with friends, family, and hey, even strangers so they’re also aware of the issue and can spread the word. 

This kind of social media backlash might have even helped to stop the recent disappearance of mailboxes in some parts of the country. On Friday, the USPS said it would “stop removing the boxes nationally until after the election,” the Washington Post reported. 

The agency said the boxes were being moved to “higher-volume areas.” But this claim prompted skepticism. 

Whether or not mailboxes are actually going to higher-traffic areas, keep the pressure on. 

3. Protest

If the last few months of anti-racist demonstrations have taught us anything, it’s that protesting can catapult an issue into the national consciousness. Of course, whether real action follows is an entirely different subject.

Residents at the Washington, D.C. condo that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy calls home woke up Saturday morning to the cacophony of protesters outside his home in D.C. The protest was organized by the direct action group Shut Down DC to rally against his leadership. 

DeJoy has been behind cost-cutting changes of the USPS, which have included a ban on overtime pay, the early shutdown of sorting machines, and the requirement that employees “leave mail behind when necessary to avoid extra trips or late delivery on routes,” the Washington Post reported. DeJoy has also donated $2.7 million to Trump and Republican since 2017, reported Reuters. 

So far it doesn’t look like USPS protests have caught on outside of D.C. But it doesn’t hurt to do a search on Facebook (use its event tab), Twitter, or groups geared toward activism to find if a protest is happening near you. Alternatively, organize your own.

4. Write to the USPS Board of Governors

Don’t put away your smart phone quite yet. Contact the USPS Board of Governors, a group of up to nine people (in this case, they’re all white men) who are appointed by the president. The Senate also weighs in on the decision. The governors act like a board of directors for the USPS. 

These men chose DeJoy as postmaster general (as is the protocol) and also choose the deputy postmaster general (currently vacant). Per the rules, no more than five of the nine are allowed to belong to the same political party. All but two of the governors are Republicans. 

5. Buy stamps and USPS merch

Even though the USPS is a government agency, it doesn’t receive taxpayer money. Instead, it relies on money from postage and its other services. So, if you can afford it, consider buying stamps and USPS merch. 

If all else fails, you can take a page out of the Great Depression-era government’s book and paint murals depicting scenes of what the U.S. would look like without its oldest institution.

Looking for more ideas? Check out this great thread running through ideas, current events, and important talking points for anyone wanting to take a more active role in sounding the alarm about Trump’s dismantling of the USPS.