Make Sure Your Vote is Counted in November 3 Midterms

The US Postal Service is in a state of chaos and dysfunction, according to a USPS insider and whistleblower. Last year, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eliminated about 10,000 USPS jobs, severely hampering its ability to provide efficient mail delivery under ordinary conditions. Think how much more difficult mail service will be in this election season. For months the Trump administration has been trying to make voting more restrictive and mail-in balloting more difficult.

Under the Constitution, state governments are clearly in charge of running elections, but for the past year the President has been trying to get the federal government to take over administering the midterms. Many states are fighting back through the courts right now. In the meantime, the US Postal Service is struggling to navigate the crisis. According to election experts, there’s virtually no possibility that the legal questions will be settled in time for the November 3 election. But no matter which way the issue is finally resolved, mail-in voting is likely to be problematic this year.

Those who have been used to voting by mail might consider hand-delivering your ballot during the early voting period, which begins on September 24. If you don’t know your polling place, check the Michigan Secretary of State or votedetroit.org.

You can also use one of the drop boxes to turn in your ballot rather than relying on mail delivery. There are two drop boxes in or near Morningside. One is just inside the E. Warren entrance to Balduck Park, and the other is in front of Bethany Lutheran Church, across from Ronald Brown Academy on Outer Drive.

If you receive an absentee ballot, turn it in as soon as possible. Assume that it’s going to take much longer than usual for it to be delivered.

Bridge Detroit has a comprehensive voter guide that should answer most of your election questions or show you where to find the answers. A number of grassroots efforts like Hands Off MI Vote and Indivisible have formed in the last year to protect our voting rights and prevent voter intimidation at polling places.

To preserve free and fair elections, it’s essential for everyone eligible to vote to do it -- and do it early.