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Why should we protect the United States Postal Service?

You could be holding a letter or object in your hand on Monday and for a small fee an army of government employees will take that letter or object and put it in the hands of anyone in this country with an address, usually by the end of the week. Though we take this for granted, it is truly a modern marvel.


 Not only is the United States Postal Service regarded as the best in the world, it is fairly unique in its function as a Government agency and a service provider. USPS provides delivery at the same rate to all Americans and receives no direct tax dollars. No other delivery service can or would make the same claim. Since 1970, it has been independently funded. Being originally authorized in the U.S. Constitution (another rare attribute), the Postal Service has a long history. However, that legacy has been undermined and  attacked by those seeking to privatize it and is now being directly threatened in order to disenfranchise voters in a Post-Covid world. While the undermining of Democracy is always alarming, we should not fail to recognize the equally disturbing amount of havoc the loss of the Postal Service would cause in the lives of so many Americans.  


If the USPS were privatized Americans would be reliant on companies like UPS and FedEx to deliver mail. Unlike the Postal Service these private companies have no obligation (nor the profit motive) to serve every mailing address in the country, and the USPS, by Constitutional mandate, does. While all Americans use and rely on the USPS, ending the USPS would hurt marginalized people more. Americans who are disabled, elderly, or otherwise depend on the mail for their medication could die. Those in rural communities or those disconnected from the digital world need the USPS for essential services. Likewise, it is the one service that is and has been truly equal for Americans, regardless of race, gender, income, orientation, and religion. Not only does the USPS serve all communities, it has historically been a place for the Black community to find work. 


It is this equality that makes the USPS forever superior to private companies such as UPS and FedEx. As private companies they can charge whatever prices they like to deliver mail. Here in Delaware both UPS and FedEx have identified certain zip codes where they apply a surcharge to packages shipped to or from those areas. UPS has 32 such zip codes, a few in New Castle County, and the vast majority in Kent and Sussex. FedEx has 17 of these surcharge areas in Delaware, and most are in Kent and Sussex counties.  


If that was not enough of a reason to save the USPS, a veritable emblem of American greatness, there is also the issue of voter disenfranchisement. Each state is fighting its own battle for mail-in or absentee ballots and Delaware is no exception. 


As of right now, there is only one location in each of Delaware’s three counties where you can drop off your absentee ballot. If you think it is important that additional secure ballot boxes be provided for November’s general election, you can contact the State Election Commissioner, Anthony J. Albence (contact information below) and ask that additional boxes be provided in each county.  


State Election Commissioner:  Anthony Albence

Office and Mailing Address  -  905 S. Governors Ave Ste 170 Dover DE 19904 

Telephone: (302) 739-4277

Fax: (302) 739-6794

Email (General Info): coe_vote@delaware.gov



Locations where you can drop off your absentee ballot ahead of election day:

Normal hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday except for State Holidays.  Hours will most likely be extended on election day.  Check the website to find out for sure.  


New Castle County election office

Carvel State Office Building
820 North French St Suite 400

Wilmington, DE 19801


Sussex County election office

119 N. Race St

Georgetown, DE 19947

Kent County election office

100 Enterprise Pl Ste 5

Dover DE 19904



For more ways you can take action: :  

https://www.thecut.com/2020/08/how-to-help-the-usps-amid-trump-funding-blocks-and-covid-19.html


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Areas where UPS charges a surcharge - “A delivery area surcharge applies to packages delivered to the zip codes listed below.”

  1. 19709

  2. 19716

  3. 19730

  4. 19734

  5. 19736

  6. 19930

  7. 19931

  8. 19933

  9. 19934

  10. 19938

  11. 19939

  12. 19940

  13. 19941

  14. 19943

  15. 19944

  16. 19945

  17. 19946

  18. 19947

  19. 19950

  20. 19951

  21. 19952

  22. 19954

  23. 19956

  24. 19958

  25. 19960

  26. 19962

  27. 19963

  28. 19966

  29. 19968

  30. 19970

  31. 19977

  32. 19979


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Areas where FedEx charges a surcharge

  1. 19930

  2. 19930

  3. 19933

  4. 19939

  5. 19941

  6. 19944

  7. 19945

  8. 19947

  9. 19950

  10. 19951

  11. 19958

  12. 19966

  13. 19967

  14. 19968

  15. 19969

  16. 19970

  17. 19971
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