“Nobody told me there’d be days like these Strange days indeed…”

-John Lennon

Watching and listening to Donald Trump rant and rave about the United States Post Office, it’s as clear as the logo on a Post Office truck: he views the “mail-in’ ballot not as a way to encourage and enable the American citizen to vote but, instead, he views it as a roadblock to his return to the White House.

It’s as if he’s given up on winning the upcoming election and has settled for attempting to delegitimize the election results with twitter rants, efforts to slow down mail delivery and excuses for defunding postal operations.

The road to the White House this year is going to wend its way through the United States Post Office whether Trump’s likes it or not. Right now, it’s the major issue this early (or this late) in this fall’s election.

The increase in interest in mail-in ballots is largely due to the Corona Virus pandemic and all the attending reasons for providing safe and protective measures so people can exercise their right to vote.

Here in New Jersey, thankfully based on gubernatorial executive orders, the ballot box is now the mailbox and if the idea of putting your ballot in the mail makes you queasy (we all have stories about the Post Office), there is always the drop box.

They are specially designed, designated and secure steel boxes where a voter can by-pass the Post Office, deposit the ballot, and have it picked up and brought directly to the government offices for counting. There should be ten if not more of these in every county in the state this election.

Pandemic As Weapon

It’s all seems civil and simple, more modern and accommodating, allowing voters to place the ballot box on their kitchen table and avoid contracting Covid-19 in a crowded place with a shortage of poll workers and long lines.

However, the President of the United States is weaponing the pandemic to sow doubt in the process, frighten the voter, and cause traffic jams all with the intention of muddling the results.

And, like putting cones in the road, the federal Postal Service has even notified more than 40 states in advance of the election that they can’t guarantee timely ballot delivery.

But, modern drivers now turn to their Google Maps and GPS and look for an off ramp or an alternative route in traffic jams so there will be millions voting by mail come this election.

In Plain View

There is now congressional action to thwart what seems to be “in plain view” attempts to discourage and outright sabotage voter efforts.

Voters need to know and have faith that their votes will be counted, which is why clear-headed federal and state officials are now getting in the driver’s seat for this critical debate.

New Jersey Congresswoman Mike Sherrill (D-11) and Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty just put a stop to rounding up mail boxes by Post Office pick up trucks.

New York Congresswoman and Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney is looking to bring Postmaster General Louis DeJoy before her committee to “discuss” operational changes.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has weighed in by suggesting she may very well bring the lower House back in session for a thorough review of the matter.

Attorneys general in a half dozen states are gearing up for legal action to stop harmful changes and defunding of operations.

And, tenacious as ever, Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-9) has appealed to the New Jersey Attorney General to empanel a grand jury and launch an investigation into efforts to “interfere in

our elections by slowing down delivery and refusing to adequately fund the Postal Service.” So, the heat is on.

Noted New Jersey defense attorney, Joe Hayden, put it rather succinctly to Insider NJ as a way of framing the issue:

“This plot to deny hundreds of thousands, if not millions of citizens, the right to vote is not only morally and ethically indefensible, it is potentially criminal. It would be no defense to potential criminal liability that the suppression of the right to vote takes place in plain sight.”

No Excuses

I’m reminded of a late fall morning as a college freshman when in the middle of a written biology exam. I fell fast asleep. The professor, lifting my head from the exam sheet, asked if she and the exam were boring me.

“No professor, I’m sorry. I work the night shift on the loading docks at the Post Office.” My explanation wasn’t good enough to help my grade point average. Neither is Donald Trump’s.