“It’s a lifeline for a lot of people,” said Brett Max Kaufman, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. “Why now? Why not wait until after the election?” said Bernard Fraga, associate professor of political science at Emory University.
Some voting rights experts question why the Postal Service would remove any mailbox during a pandemic when more voters than ever are expected to cast ballots by mail. The Postal Service removed boxes during construction projects in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.Įven if this year's removals track with historical averages, 2020 has been anything but a normal year. Rusty bolts embedded in the concrete are still visible. In Eugene, Oregon, at least 21 are gone, culled from locations with multiple boxes that now have one or two. It was supposed to reopen this spring, but still hasn’t. In Ashland, Massachusetts, four boxes in the post office went offline when the building closed after mold was discovered in the basement. Reporters found boxes had been removed on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Broadway in New York City and on 10 Mile Road in Southfield, Michigan. Reporters across the USA TODAY Network checked on 271 of those boxes in 20 states and confirmed that 186 were not there.
He said they were being removed because of damage in the area after protests the night before. Comparing a list of mail collection boxes the Postal Service released in September 2019 to those listed on the agency’s website this month showed a reduction of more than 4,200.Ī Postal worker removes mailboxes in downtown Columbus, Ohio on May 29, 2020. The Postal Service did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for records of boxes removed this year. On average, from 2010 through 2019, the Postal Service reports it removed 3,258 drop boxes per year.
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