Photo: Willamette Weekly 

    It is not a secret that politics are, in part, a strategy game for politicians to play to get reelected. In the state of Oregon, voting by Mail has been utilized for all levels of elections since 1998.

    Recently in August of 2020, two highly populated and left-leaning Cities had mail collection boxes removed. The official reasoning is that there was declining mail volume and the boxes weren't being used. That excuse leaves a bitter taste once you savor it and recall that President Trump was disgusted at the protesting in Portland, one of the cities where the mailboxes have been removed. He also tweeted about how Portland's mayor and the state's governor were mishandling the situation. But what does Trump have to do with our mail?

    Trump openly opposes funding of the USPS because he doesn't want people voting this November. The President's distaste of Portland might be the true reason that the blue cities of Portland and Eugene have been losing mail boxes, as the rest of the state swings more to the right. Trump believes that mail-in votes are more likely to be fraudulent, but that is not true. He is making excuses to undermine the USPS, and the evidence is slowly being revealed. Two of the three most populated cities in Oregon are having mailboxes removed due to lack of use. Salem, the second most populated city in Oregon, has not reported the loss of mailboxes. Perhaps that is because that city was predominately Republican in the 2016 presidential election. 

    A vote contains your voice. Do not miss the chance to be heard, especially since it will now be harder for some people to vote more than others. Here is an article to guide you through the process.

Written by Mattie Richardson