To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Free Postage on all Absentee (Vote by Mail) Ballots
As the right to vote is a core requirement in a democracy, actions that dilute or constrain the right should be removed whenever possible. A national standard concerning postage on absentee (vote by mail) ballots should be instituted. As the U.S. Post Office, authorized by Article I Section 8 of the U.S Constitution, is the recipient of the postage fees, and under Article I Section 8 Congress has the power to collect taxes, imposts and excises, and under Article I Section 4 Congress may at any time make or alter election regulations delegated to the states, and under Article IV Section 4 the U.S shall guarantee to every state a Republican form of government, it is within the power of Congress to abolish postage requirements on absentee (vote by mail) ballots, therefore ensuring that all mailed ballots will be processed and delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
Why is this important?
Currently the decision to require postage on absentee (vote by mail) ballots is delegated to the states, and in some states it has been further delegated to the counties. Therefore in some states (Hawaii, Iowa and Missouri - if I am correct), absentee (vote by mail) ballot postage is pre-paid, while in some states (California and Florida) it varies by county, and in other states (Oregon) postage is required to be affixed by the voter. The varying postage requirements are needlessly confusing and do not serve to further democracy. At a relatively small cost, abolition of paid postage on absentee (vote by mail) ballots will work to ensure equity among citizens and further strengthen democracy in the United States.