USPS Removes Mail-Sorter Machines: Is This The New Voter Suppression?

Photo Courtesy of Vice

As a reported record number of voters who will be voting-by-mail are expected for the 2020 presidential election, the United States Postal Service is making some rather questionable changes to their operations and facilities that may affect their ability to process such high volumes of mail-in ballots.

This past June, longtime Republican fundraiser and Trump donor, Louis DeJoy, became the Postmaster General. Since becoming into his position, hundreds of high volume processing mail sorting machines have been removed, dismantled and decommissioned in facilities throughout the country. The reason why? Well, there isn't a clear reason or purpose to put it simply. Employees and letter carriers have not been informed and no formal policy has been in place addressing this reduction. USPS claims mail volume continues to decline while package volume has been on the rise. They also claim they move and adjust their machinery to adapt to new processing infrastructure. 

The mail sorting machines can sort up to around 30,000 pieces of mail per hour and requires only a couple employees to operate. Why remove and dismantle these sorting machines when they can be turned off and not used? What if another high volume sorting machine breaks down and fails? Will the USPS have the necessary resources to make up for a loss of that magnitude during one of the biggest elections in presidential history and in the midst of a global pandemic? 

While it is not clear as to their reasoning to reduce and remove such high volume processing machines from their facilities, it is pretty clear to believe this will in some way impact the USPS's ability to handle the record number of mail-in-ballots. Which leads one to wonder if this is a new form of voter suppression? 

By Jared Mulvey

For more information about these most recent actions by the USPS, please visit: 

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

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/postal-service-sorting-machines/index.html