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Starting this Friday, the citizens of the US state of Minnesota will be able to elect a new president by postal vote, other states will follow in the coming days. The actual vote is November 3.
The dispute over the vote by mail has now entered the next round: A federal court is temporarily halting operational changes ordered in July at the US Post Office after several states warned of negative effects on the presidential elections. District Judge Stanley Bastian issued a corresponding injunction in Yakima Thursday in the case, which is directed against President Donald Trump, Postmaster Louis DeJoy and the Federal Post Office itself.
The 14 plaintiff states have shown that the defendants are “involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the postal service.” They have also stated that “this attack on the Post” will likely “irreparably damage” the states’ ability to hold the November elections. In fact, damage has already been done: “Postal delivery is slowing down, which will probably also slow down ballot delivery.”
Voting by mail is of particular importance in the United States this year. Significantly more voters than usual are expected to use this medium to avoid a possible coronavirus infection in front of or at polling stations. However, Trump has repeatedly warned that the election outcome could be affected by vote-by-mail. It did not provide any proof of this.
In particular, the states opposed new regulations issued in July, according to which Postbuses always have to start their runs at certain times, regardless of whether they are already loaded. They also demanded that all postal mail be treated as first-class mail and that the recalled letter sorting machines, which are necessary for timely mail delivery, be replaced. Judge Bastian said his injunction will basically address state requests.
