S-N Editorial
The making of a meltdown
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With the November election looming and the pandemic going nowhere, federal officials must ensure the public's trust in voting by mail.
This year has been a slog. The pandemic and subsequent economic nosedive have made millions of Americans hurt, and excruciatingly, there is no end in sight. When this all ends, nobody knows.
Accordingly, Americans from sea to shining sea have had to adapt their routines to accommodate this strange new standard. One of the most import functions of our democracy – the simple act of voting – will be greatly affected by the pandemic come November. Sadly, the logical switch to mail-in ballots hasn't been met with bipartisan embrace, instead devolving into a political hot potato that has only widened the growing chasm in the United States.
At issue is the U.S. Postal Service and whether the country's most trusted government agency can handle the influx of ballots this fall to ensure each vote is counted. The debate has been further muddled by President Trump, whose disdain for the USPS is well documented. Recently, fears have grown over the Postal Service's ability to move mail on time following cost-saving measures aimed at slashing overtime and delaying distribution when high volumes can't be delivered in a normal day's work. Some folks fear this could delay election results and lead to an air of illegitimacy about the winner.
In yet another bizarre Twitter rant, the president even went as a far to call for the election's postponement.
"With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history," he posted July 30. "It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???"
The thing is, Americans can already "properly, securely and safely vote" via mailed in ballot. A record number Iowans did so during the June primary election, and they'll do it again come November. These systems work and they are proven; however, the president's propensity to undermine public trust in both the USPS and voting system is a great detriment to democracy. Instead of dividing the country on yet another issue, the president should take this opportunity to improve on the Postal Service and voting by mail. If perceived flaws exist, maybe they should be fixed?
The pandemic is going nowhere and millions of Americans will turn to mail-in ballots this fall. The country's leaders should be making the system as flawless and secure as possible to guarantee the public's trust in the process. The president is doing nothing of the sort, and again failing to actually address a problem that arguably doesn't even exist.
Now would be a great time for Congress to step in and provide some oversight. Democrats and Republicans have an equal amount at stake come November, and each side needs to ensure every ballot cast for them is accounted for. The time is now to fine tune mail-in voting before it's too late. If there are problems, fix them. Complaining and making excuses do nothing other than divide Americans and undermine the bedrock of democracy – voting.
