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Ballot drop box, Portland, Oregon. Photo: Motoya Nakamura, Multnomah County Elections Division.
On June 2, the US Postal Service proposed a new rule in the Federal Register on standards for handling of mail ballots, with public comment open through July 2. That rule was issued pursuant to an executive order by US president Donald Trump.
While the proposal unambiguously claims that “states would retain full control over who would (or would not) be able to vote by mail in federal election,” US Postmaster General David Steiner, told Congress that in actuality, the organization he runs would refuse to deliver ballots in states which don’t turn over voter data to the federal government.
While a federal judge has already nixed the scheme, it will probably end up working its way to the US Supreme Court.
Even if more courts, possibly including SCOTUS, act to prevent the US Snail from seizing control of elections, it seems to me that the message — “don’t mess with our votes” — isn’t really getting through to the US government.
Examples need to be made, and I think there’s a way to make one: A federal grand jury.
While the usual perception of grand juries is that they indict only those whose indictments are sought by prosecutors — who, in the old saying, “could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich” — there’s nothing to PREVENT such a jury from handing down indictments against whomever, for whatever, they want.
What we need is a grand jury whose members are willing to get together, talk things over, and charge David Steiner and his underlings, per Title 18, Section § 371 of the US Code, with the federal crime of “conspiracy.”
What did Steiner and those who helped him craft and promulgate the rule conspire to do? They conspired to — and have publicly confessed to conspiring to — violate Title 18, Section §1703:
“Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, unlawfully secretes, destroys, detains, delays, or opens any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.”
I’ve got mixed opinions on voting itself (for one thing, I’m not sure it accomplishes much), and strong opinions on mail (the government should get entirely out of the matter and let the private sector handle it), but this particular matter is about rule of law.
Regardless of whether I like the laws, or how they’re made, or who gets to make them, I’m a big supporter of holding the government and its officials to the laws they claim are so important for our “protection.”
This is such a clear-cut case of a government official openly announcing that he’s conspired with others to violate the laws he’s sworn to abide by and enforce that just suing for relief isn’t enough.
David Steiner really needs to spend some time — even if only a few hours between his arrest and a presidential pardon — locked in a small room, wearing an orange coverall, contemplating the gravity of his offenses. That would be good not just for his soul, but for our freedoms.
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