Nation's Mayors On U.S. Postal Service Changes: "We Cannot Afford Further Disruption"

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Below is a statement by Louisville Mayor and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Greg Fischer on recent changes with the U.S. Postal Service and its potential impact on the upcoming election in November:

"Voting is essential to maintaining and preserving our democracy. It stands as one of the most important rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens. The news of recent changes to the U.S. Postal Service's delivery process coupled with the Administration's decision to withhold funding is alarming and should be of grave concern to us all, particularly with the General Election only months away.  The relentless spread of the Coronavirus has already created challenges and uncertainty around our local, state and national electoral processes. We cannot afford further disruption.

"This past June at our Annual Meeting, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed two critical resolutions supporting safe and accessible elections and voting by mail. The Conference supports national efforts to increase voter participation and safeguard the integrity of our electoral system. At the same time, given the current and unprecedented public health crisis, mayors recognize that voting by mail provides a way for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights and responsibilities without endangering their health and that of their communities.

"We call on all governments?federal, state and local?to provide safe voting options, including vote-by-mail, in order to ensure that we protect the health of all eligible Americans. This must be a national priority. Anything less not only threatens to undermine our democratic values but erode the very fabric of our country."

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors