Several U.S. states have announced efforts to increase postal voting opportunities due to COVID (file)
New York:
The US states of New York, New Jersey and Hawaii sued the Donald Trump administration on Tuesday for alleged measures to “undermine the November presidential election” by disrupting the postal service.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that legal action has been taken on a case in Washington following the end of the Congressional hearings of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump supporter.
Americans are expected to vote by mail in large numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Trump opposed more funding for the cash-strapped USPS (USPS), acknowledging the money would be used to help process the ballots.
“The USPS slowdown is nothing more than a voter suppression tactic,” James said in a statement, calling Trump’s actions a “takeover.”
“These authoritarian actions not only jeopardize our democracy and our basic right to vote, but the immediate health and financial well-being of Americans across the country,” she said.
The lawsuit is an escalation in a dispute over federal funding for the postal service, long considered a cornerstone of American democracy.
The cities of New York and San Francisco have joined the tri-state to continue administration.
Several states have announced efforts to increase postal voting possibilities due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But Trump has voiced opposition to the increase in mail-in ballots, saying there was a possibility of fraud.
Facing much criticism, DeJoy, a fundraiser for the Republican Party, announced last week that he would suspend postal reforms, blamed for delivery delays, in the months leading up to the election, assuring Congress that allegations that the changes were intended to sabotage the election were “scandalous.”
But he presided over the removal of mail collection boxes and processing equipment, also ensuring a reduction in overtime pay for letter carriers.
Over the weekend, the US House of Representatives passed a bill providing for a $ 25 billion injection into the postal service.
The bill is expected to die in the Republican-led Senate, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell calling it a “partisan coup de grace.”
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
