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To get around any possible delays by the U.S. Postal Service, you can drop off your ballot at officially designated locations.
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There is really no other way to say it: the president of the United States is trying to sabotage the U.S. election by denying the Postal Service money it needs to process voting by mail and relying on a loyal political ally to slow down mail delivery. It isn’t subtle, and it isn’t seriously disputed that he’s trying to do this — in fact, President Donald Trump sometimes comes right out and admits what he’s doing.
Louis DeJoy, the Trump donor who was recently named postmaster general, is apparently doing his part by making changes “that have led to delays in mail delivery.”
It is clear that Trump’s strategy has at least three related goals: 1) suppress the mail-in vote, which he believes will favor his opponent, Joe Biden; 2) allow Trump to claim victory on Nov. 3 if he’s leading in the early returns while mail-in ballots remain to be counted; and 3) if none of that works and Biden wins anyway, baselessly plant enough doubt in the minds of his supporters that they will incorrectly believe the election was illegitimate.
This perfidious effort to manipulate the election is nothing new and will come as no surprise to anyone who has been following Trump’s twisted electoral strategy and, indeed, his political career.
In 2016, Trump welcomed Russian assistance aimed at improving his chances in the election. When that episode was exposed, a number of Trump’s associates were convicted of crimes. Last year, Trump tried to pressure Ukraine’s president into illicitly tilting the electoral scales in Trump’s favor by falsely smearing Joe Biden. When that plot was exposed, Trump was impeached.
But Trump is resourceful when it comes to trying to stay in power, and impeachment didn’t stop him from looking for ways to gain an underhanded advantage in the election (Sen. Susan Collins’s hopes notwithstanding). It is easier to place a thumb on the scales when one of your political supporters runs the government agency responsible for mail delivery. As a result, in some ways, Trump’s “mess with the mail” scheme is moving ahead more smoothly than his clumsy effort to strong arm Ukraine President Volodmyr Zelensky: USPS has told 46 states and the District of Columbia that it can’t guarantee delivery of last-minute ballot requests in time for the election.
People who have become attached to the notion of constitutional democracy can be forgiven if they are worried.
But it is essential to maintain perspective and not panic. Trump’s actions reflect his desperation. He is trailing in the polls and knows he could use a boost — even an ill-gotten one. The fact that Trump is relying on a deeply immoral, possibly illegal scheme to shore up his chances at re-election doesn’t guarantee he will succeed — far from it.
One thing we have in our favor — those of us who feel strongly about free and fair elections — is that Trump’s plan has been exposed with nearly three months to go before the election takes place. That means we have time to take a deep breath and make a plan for preserving our democracy against Trump’s despicable efforts to take it away.
Trump wants Biden voters to lose faith in the process and to incorrectly believe that there is no point to voting by mail.
Voting experts, on the other hand, tell us there are concrete, specific actions all voters — no matter who they vote for — can take to make sure their vote counts. Here are a few important points to keep in mind, depending on the rules in your state (and please be sure to confirm information with your state and local election officials):
- If your state allows voting by mail and you need to request a mail ballot, don’t wait — request it now. Trump’s plan to slow things down at USPS won’t work if voters act promptly instead of waiting until the last minute.
- When you receive your ballot, again, don’t wait — return it as soon as you can. You can use the mail as long as you don’t wait until the last minute. One voting rights expert calls the strategy of moving promptly with mail-in ballots a good way to “flatten the absentee ballot curve.” You can track your ballot online to receive confirmation that it was received and accepted.
- Alternatively, in some states you may be able to use a ballot drop box or you may be allowed to drop off your ballot at an election office or polling location, all of which can allow you to skip the mail process when you cast your ballot.
- In the 41 states that allow it, early in-person voting can be another way to make sure your cote is counted. Some states begin early in-person voting 45 days before the election and some have weekend voting options, meaning you don’t have to wait until the last minute.
- As voting expert Michael McDonald says, “You don’t have to be afraid if your mail ballot doesn’t arrive or [you decide you] don’t want to vote [by mail]. You can always vote in-person. Election officials have safeguards to ensure no duplicate votes. You may need to bring your mail ballot (if you have it) or vote a provisional ballot.”
Trump is trying to scare voters out of using the mail by falsely making them think it is impossible to count on their vote getting in on time. He knows this is naked deception—he’s apparently using the mail himself to vote in Florida’s primary, as he has in the past. Trump’s actions are an act of desperation, the acts of an amoral man who knows he is trailing in the polls and will do whatever he can to try to gain an edge.
Whether you use the mail or another available option (depending on where you live) you have the power here, not Trump. That is what it means to have a democracy — power resides in “We the people.”
It will require a little planning and now is certainly not a time to procrastinate when it comes to the most cherished right in a democracy. People in Belarus are risking and in some cases enduring torture to stand up for a free and fair election. Thankfully, we don’t need the same level of courage to make our democracy work. If his efforts to undermine confidence in the Postal Service don’t work, Trump will surely try something else — but he’s running out of time.
If we are careful, if we are responsible, and if we don’t give in to Trump’s scare tactics, we have all the tools we need to make sure our vote is counted—which is the last thing Trump wants, as his cartoon villain actions make clear.
Chris Edelson is an assistant professor of government in American University’s School of Public Affairs. He has written two books on presidential power. Follow him at @ChrisEdelson on Twitter.
