The Post Office Is Deactivating Mail Sorting Machines Ahead of the Election

[Nevilledog]

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wk9z/the-post-office-is-deactivating-mail-sorting-machines-ahead-of-the-election

The United States Postal Service is removing mail sorting machines from facilities around the country without any official explanation or reason given, Motherboard has learned through interviews with postal workers and union officials. In many cases, these are the same machines that would be tasked with sorting ballots, calling into question promises made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that the USPS has “ample capacity” to handle the predicted surge in mail-in ballots.

Motherboard identified 19 mail sorting machines from five processing facilities across the U.S. that either have already been removed or are scheduled to be in the near future. But the Postal Service operates hundreds of distribution facilities around the country, so it is not clear precisely how many machines are getting removed and for what purpose.

Even to local union officials, USPS has not announced any policy, explained why they are doing this, what will happen to the machines and the workers who use them. Nor has management provided a rationale for dismantling and removing the machines from the facility rather than merely not operating them when they’re not needed.

“I’m not sure you’re going to find an answer for why [the machines being removed] makes sense,” said Iowa Postal Workers Union President Kimberly Karol, “because we haven’t figured that out either.”

*snip*

[SheltieLover]

1. Yup! Memphis primary was 8/6 & "hundreds of ballots still coming in!

Vote early, in person!

Memphis story here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213899925

[Thekaspervote]

2. Let this be the rally call to all Dems!!! DO NOT mail your ballot!!!

[SheltieLover]

6. Yup!

And, in TN, there is no option to drop off anywhere. Nor are voters allowed to change from mail-in to in-person, despite what the article says. 🤬

So I will vote early, in person!

[Layzeebeaver]

11. Unfortunately as an Expat I'm forced to mail in my ballot

Guess I will see what happens. I fear the worst for my vote.

[enough]

3. The attack on the Post Office is his most open direct attack on America so far. NT

[SheltieLover]

7. Yup!

They need to get him out of 5hqt position!

[Newest Reality]

4. That sounds like...

That sounds like literally dismantling the USPS. It is one thing to turn the sorting machines off, but something is seriously wrong with removing them. And what's the so-called cost benefit here? Sorting machines must save huge amounts of work for employees and require less people.

Oh, and it might be a good idea to get your Holiday cards out now for 2021. They should arrive a year from December, at least.

[synni]

15. This has been happening for years

But I think it's being accelerated now.

I know a former local postmaster who worked in Nebraska, so I've heard a lot of behind-the-scenes stories about the USPS.

Years ago, a big sorting facility in Grand Island was shut down. Now, all mail goes through Omaha. If you live in a small town and mail a letter to your neighbor, that letter is taken to Omaha for sorting/postmarking, then delivered back to your town. It's insane.

[Newest Reality]

16. Thanks for the info!

[Talitha]

20. Similar situation here in northern Wisconsin.

The small Post Office that handles the mail for my rural area was closed down a number of years ago and everything was re-routed to a larger (but still small-ish) nearby town. Soon afterwards, that town's P.O started re-routing mail all the way down to Milwaukee.

Makes absolutely no sense at all.

[Guilded Lilly]

5. Right out in the open and we can't do anything??

Really.
Why?

Vote EARLY. Tag Oct 4 as election day(when absentees are mailed.
Use official drop off at county headquarters if possible.
TWO Stamps on Mail-in’s.
Jaysus.

[SheltieLover]

8. Why?

Because people who have been dead ~200 years could not have forseen traitor in WH and complicit Senate or, if they did, they didn't write it down. Good reason?

Fking laughing stock of the world. 🤬

I'm voting early, in person. 👍

[Guilded Lilly]

9. Ditto. Hand Delivering to county ballot box, early!

[SheltieLover]

10. Check your laws!

Hand delivery prohibited in TN, as is changing status ti in person after requesting mail-in!

[Guilded Lilly]

13. Checked already!

ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL

All Ohio voters whose registration information is up-to-date have the opportunity to vote in any election from the convenience of their own homes by requesting an absentee ballot. Absentee voting has many benefits -- You can vote early, it is convenient, it reduces the chance of lines at the polls on Election Day, and absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night. Voters need only fill out and return an application and their absentee ballot will be mailed to them so they may make their selections at their leisure and return their ballot to the board of elections ahead of Election Day.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is three days before the election in which you want to vote, but voters can submit their application any time. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election in order to be counted. You can also return your absentee ballot in-person to your county board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30pm on Election Day.

[SheltieLover]

14. Good!

Tbh, I worry about voting early here in shithole red TN!

[Cha]

12. Yes, and it shows.. I & I bet millions of others are

waiting over 2 weeks for orders from amazon.

[LisaL]

18. Amazon uses multiple delivery services, including its own amazon delivery.

[Cha]

22. & I've always gotten mine through the USPS. Good to know

they have other options. TY.

[liskddksil]

17. Do not vote by mail unless you absolutely have to. Spread this wide and far! nt

[LisaL]

19. I am assuming that is exactly what Trump wants.

But we are during a pandemic. In November our infection rates could very well get even worse. It could be a mess on a election day, since volunteers are mostly elderly.

[liskddksil]

21. Maybe so but like Wisconsin's judicial election in April people might choose between 2 bad options

and pick Democracy over health/safety.

[Coleman]

23. He is trying to get USPS to go on strike

and he'd drag it out through the election.

Right now he is destroying the work environment, then a RIF, next will be pay and pensions. All done by EO's.