As the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, mail-in voting seems to be the best (and safest) option for most Americans. However, the crumbling United States Postal Service (USPS) has been under scrutiny the past week as collection boxes and mail sorting machines have reportedly been taken out of service or had plans to be. That’s a pretty terrible idea considering we are in one of the busiest mail seasons ever. Many Mississippians are expected to cast absentee votes by mail this November, and many MSMS students will be voting for the first time ever this year. These actions could affect our ability to exert our constitutional right. 

The retrieval of post office boxes for maintenance purposes? It’s not a wholly new institution, but never before has the action been carried out on such a scale – and with such “convenient” timing. Postmaster General (PG) Louis DeJoy’s decision to take collection boxes and sorting machines out of service seems a little fishy. Why would someone reduce the capacity for mail processing, during what could be, the busiest mail season ever? The answer is simple: politics. 

Anyone even slightly immersed in the political realm knows of the hostility between the left and right can work its way into the most mundane of civil affairs. Unfortunately, the issue far exceeds the slightly inconvenient shipping delays we’ve recently grown accustomed to. The USPS recently sent letters to 46 states warning that mail-in ballots may not be delivered in time for the November election. Surely that mail experienced no delay in shipping, right?  

It gets even more complicated – PG DeJoy has donated quite a bit of money to the Republican Party and President Trump— $440,000 to be exact. He also reportedly has millions of dollars invested in other companies that are, you guessed it, USPS rivals. 

Where do DeJoy’s loyalties lie? With getting the mail on time or supporting a borderline corrupt president? Well, they’re definitely not with getting the mail on time. In addition to taking collection boxes and mail sorting machines out of service, DeJoy cut overtime pay for workers, a necessity for effective mail-in voting.

Speaking of ballots, a projected 70% of votes this November are going to be cast by mail. The President, who has voted by mail several times, is vehemently against this. Hypocritically, Trump claims mail-in voting will be fraudulent and the evidence he provides for this is…nowhere to be found. 

Could DeJoy be working against the USPS and Democratic Party? It seems so. A projected 62% of Biden-supporters will vote through the mail while 72% of Trump-supporters will vote in person. The Democrats would take the hardest hit from lack of access to reliable mail-in voting.

Clearly, DeJoy has the most to gain from the USPS’s downfall. However, his efforts to kill the organization seem to be on hold for the time being. Mounting public pressure and legal action from 20 Democratic states have stopped DeJoy, so far. The USPS has halted the removal of collection boxes and sorting machines until after November—a big win for our republic. 

The question is, how do we get rid of corrupt leaders such as DeJoy who work to benefit themselves? He’s not only a threat to the periodic packages from your grandma, but also to our democracy. Whether it’s writing to congresspeople, signing petitions, or running for office ourselves, we must take action. 

It’s time to hold leaders accountable and it’s time for change. It’s time to vote in change (via the mail).