Letter to Editor: The US Post Office Mess and How To Avoid It 

In the midst of a raging pandemic, president Trump is trying to slow down the Post Office workers’ ability to deal with millions of Mail-In or Absentee Voting ballots (which amounts to the same thing) and will, thus, possibly disenfranchise those who do not dare or cannot vote in person on November 3.  The big, blue mailboxes are being removed from some locations, and some large sorting machines are removed from some post offices.  In Pennsylvania, the Republican Party is suing the state and its 67 Boards of Elections to stop them from installing ballot drop boxes (more about these below).  This behavior is un-American, and the Democrats are not going to accept it.  We will see lawsuits filed by the House, as only Congress has the right to change the functions of the Post Office.

We cannot expect president Trump, who does not read, to know the origins of post offices.  The Emperor Augustus of the ancient Roman Empire established the first post office between 27 BC and AD 14.  Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution established that the US should have post offices and postal routes.  An Act of Congress in 1792 outlined the US Post Office Department.  Only an Act of Congress can change or repeal the US Post Office.

Most Americans rely on the US Post Office today for delivering not only mail from friends and family but many necessities of life such as medicines, Social Security checks and other important documents.  In these times of Covid-19, many of us also shop online and have the items sent to us through the US Post Office.  In Maryland, where Absentee Voting this time is open to anyone who asks for an Application for Absentee Voting, the post offices will have to deal with two mailings unless the voter jumps in to simplify the process.  

First, find out that you are registered at the right address (if you moved) and under the right name (if you got married).  You can apply online for an application to register to vote which you need to sign and mail to Talbot County Board of Elections, 215 Bay Street, Easton 21601. Or you can register in person during Early Voting or on Nov 3, the day of voting and then vote the same day.  If you are registered and do not want to appear in person, you can online download the Application for an Absentee Ballot from the Maryland State Board of Elections.  You need to sign it, and mail it to the Talbot County Board of Elections. The ballot may be mailed to you or you can receive it as an email.

Once you have your ballot in hand you can decide if you want to fill it out and return it by mail or settle on the better choice, which is to drop it off in one of the secure drop boxes which, we hope, will be installed outside all voting precincts.  Most of the deadlines for getting these applications and returning them to the Board of Elections are in mid-October.  Do not wait until then.  Go through these hoops now in August, and you will be ahead of the game.  You can hang on to your ballot and drop it in a ballot drop box in October for it to be counted early.

Lena Gill
Easton