Postal agencies are rarely attention-getting issues in political races, but 2020 is a year like no other: The U.S. Postal Service is a lead item in the presidential election coverage.

President Trump charged the Democrats with holding up the coronavirus stimulus bill by demanding aid for the U.S. Postal Service.

“The items are the post office and the $3.5 billion for mail-in voting,” Trump told Fox Business News’ Maria Bartiromo. “If we don’t make the deal, that means can’t have the money, that means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. It just can’t happen.”

He opposes widespread voting-by-mail, saying it would lead to widespread corruption and fraud in this election. However, he plans to vote by mail in Florida, now his official residence.

There are charges that new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy [left], President Trump’s pick, is hobbling the USPS’ capability to deliver mail-in ballots.

This is a fast-developing story, so we’re going to do something they tell you never to do as a website host: Go to your favorite news website and read the latest there. We can’t keep up. We shouldn’t keep up: This is a stamp collecting news site, not a mainstream news or opinion site.

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[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Provides Recommendations for Successful 2020 Election Mail Season

WASHINGTON, DC — Today [May 29, 2020] the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) released a letter that is being sent to local and state election officials and state party officials around the country. This letter highlights key aspects of Election Mail delivery processes — and ways to help educate the public on what to expect when using the mail to vote.

The letter, signed by USPS General Counsel and Executive Vice President Thomas J. Marshall, is a continuation of an ongoing outreach effort aimed at educating all interested parties about the Postal Service’s mailing requirements and services in advance of the 2020 elections.

“It is critical that the Postal Service’s delivery standards be kept in mind when informing voters how to successfully participate in an election using the mail,” says Marshall, noting the importance of this information “when state and local election officials are making decisions as to the establishment of deadlines and the means used to send a piece of Election Mail to voters.”

The letter and the accompanying Publication 632, State and Local Election Mail — User’s Guide, are intended to provide boards of election and other election officials the tools needed to make the upcoming elections more successful when voting by mail. These guides are a follow-up to the more extensive 2020 Official Election Mail Kit (Kit 600), which was distributed to 11,500 election officials in March. All of these materials are also available on the Postal Service’s Election Mail website, about.usps.com/election-mail/election-mail-resources.htm.

Publication 632 includes an overview of how to properly use the mail during the election process, the mailing standards of the Postal Service, postmarking guidelines and the specifics of military, diplomatic and overseas mailing instructions. The Postal Service has personnel ready to assist election officials with mailpiece design and everything else needed for a successful election cycle.

The letter also provides Postal Service recommendations on how to ensure the efficient and timely handling of mail pertaining to elections. The Postal Service recommends that election officials use First-Class Mail, which is typically delivered in 2 to 5 days, for all Election Mail and to allow one week for delivery to voters. USPS further recommends election officials use Intelligent Mail barcodes for all Election Mail. The Postal Service has designed an Intelligent Mail barcode identifier specifically for ballots, to increase mailpiece visibility within the processing system. The identifier can be used by both the Postal Service and the mailer to track ballot deliveries and returns.

The letter notes that voters should be made aware of the mail delivery standards and transit times both when requesting an absentee ballot be mailed to them and when deciding when to mail the ballot back to election officials. The Postal Service recommends that voters mail their ballots at least one week before the due date and that they should contact local election officials for information about the specific deadlines.

The Postal Service is proud of its role as an important component of the nation’s democratic process and remains committed to providing the resources needed to implement a successful election season.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[press release]
Board of Governors Announces Selection of Louis DeJoy to Serve as Nation’s 75th Postmaster General

WASHINGTON – The Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service today announced its unanimous selection of Louis DeJoy to serve as the 75th Postmaster General of the United States and Chief Executive Officer of the world’s largest postal organization. DeJoy is an accomplished business executive with more than 35 years of experience. As Chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics, DeJoy spent decades in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service, Boeing, Verizon, Disney, United Technologies and other public and private companies to provide supply chain logistics, program management and transportation support. He is expected to begin serving in his new role effective June 15th.

“Louis DeJoy understands the critical public service role of the United States Postal Service, and the urgent need to strengthen it for future generations,” said Robert M. (Mike) Duncan, chair of the Board of Governors. “The Board appreciated Louis’ depth of knowledge on the important issues facing the Postal Service and his desire to work with all of our stakeholders on preserving and protecting this essential institution.”

DeJoy becomes the fifth Postmaster General to join the institution from the private sector since the Postal Service became an independent establishment within the Executive Branch in 1971.

“Having worked closely with the Postal Service for many years, I have a great appreciation for this institution and the dedicated workers who faithfully execute its mission. I look forward to working with the supporters of the Postal Service in Congress and the Administration to ensure the Postal Service remains an integral part of the United States government. Postal workers are the heart and soul of this institution, and I will be honored to work alongside them and their unions. It will be an incredible honor to serve as Postmaster General, and I commit myself to upholding the Postal Service’s cherished role in our nation,” said Mr. DeJoy.

As Chairman and CEO of New Breed Logistics, Inc., he transformed a small, family owned transportation company with 10 employees into a nationwide provider of highly engineered, technology-driven, contract logistics solutions employing more than 9,000 people. New Breed Logistics was a contractor to the U.S. Postal Service for more than 25 years, supplying the Postal Service with logistics support for multiple processing facilities. The company received Quality Supplier Awards from the Postal Service in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

In 2014, New Breed merged with XPO Logistics, with DeJoy serving as CEO of XPO Logistics’ supply chain business in the Americas before retiring in December 2015 as CEO and joining the XPO Logistics board of directors, where he served until 2018.

DeJoy is a member of the Board of Trustees at Elon University in North Carolina and the Fund for American Studies in Washington, DC. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Stetson University. He currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina with his wife, Dr. Aldona Wos.

DeJoy’s appointment comes upon the retirement of Megan Brennan, the nation’s 74th Postmaster General, who announced her intent to step down in October 2019. The Board of Governors then began an extensive nationwide search, employing a national executive search firm to conduct the search with additional advisory services from Chelsea Partners. In the ensuing months, the Governors reviewed the records of more than two hundred candidates for the position before narrowing the list to more than fifty candidates to undergo substantial vetting. Subsequently, the Governors interviewed more than a dozen candidates in first round interviews, and invited seven candidates for follow-up interviews. A narrow list of finalists then underwent a final vetting process before the Governors made their decision.

Press Coverage:

Associated Press (via Washington Post website)
Republican donor, fundraiser DeJoy next postmaster general

The Washington Post:
Top Republican fundraiser and Trump ally named postmaster general, giving president new influence over Postal Service
Under fire from Trump, Postal Service braces for arrival of new postmaster general allied with White House

Wall Street Journal:
North Carolina Businessman Tapped to Head the Postal Service

The New York Times:
Postal Service Pick With Ties to Trump Raises Concerns Ahead of 2020 Election

Reuters:
Republican donor named U.S. postmaster general

CNN.com
Trump ally Louis DeJoy named next postmaster general

No stories specifically on DeJoy were found at USA Today, FoxNews.com, Bloomberg News and the Los Angeles Times.

As noted in the press release, a USPS spokesman tells The Virtual Stamp Club “stamp sales are up significantly.”

[press release]
Mail Helps Americans Feel Connected During COVID-19 Pandemic

Now more than ever, consumers rely on cards and mail to keep in touch with family and friends and to overcome feelings of isolation, according to a recent survey conducted by the US Postal Service. The survey highlighted the important role that sending and receiving mail plays in helping Americans stay connected during a time of social distancing and stay-at-home mandates.

The majority, or 65% of respondents, said that receiving “cards and letters from family and friends lifts my spirits during this time” while 62% said that “receiving a card or letter in the mail makes me feel more connected during social distancing.” Another 60% said it means more to me to receive a card/letter in the mail than an email, while 55% said they feel less isolated when receiving a card or letter in the mail.

The research, conducted by the USPS Market Research & Insights department, was conducted on-line during April 15 – 17, 2020, with more than 1,000 adults, with demographics matching weighted census data.

Survey highlights include:

• Approximately 67% of consumers are feeling increasingly isolated and distant from people, and have acknowledged the effect of the pandemic on their mental well-being.
• When asked how the pandemic has changed their activities over the past few weeks, approximately 1-in-6 consumers said they have sent more mail to family and friends over the past few weeks.
• During the corona virus pandemic, two-thirds of those surveyed indicated that they would be likely to send mail. Family members and friends would be the most common recipients. Those who are younger, have higher income and those with children in the home are more likely to want to send cards and letters.
• 42% said they were more reliant on mail as a result of social distancing and 38% indicated the importance of being able to shop for mail products such as cards and stationery in retail locations permitted to be open during the pandemic.

A recent trend reflects what this survey has shown. Over the past several weeks, the Postal Service has observed significantly higher stamp sales, particularly through the mobile-friendly online Postal Store on usps.com. Stamps celebrate the people, events and cultural milestones that are unique to the history of our great nation. Cards, stamps, stationery, shipping supplies and other postal products can be ordered online through the Postal Store at www.usps.com/store.

The complete survey – including questions and responses – is posted on PostalPro™

[press release]
Christmas-level parcel volumes resulting in delays as Canada Post continues to deliver

OTTAWA – With many Canadians isolating at home and shopping more online, Canada Post is now processing and delivering parcels at levels only experienced during the busiest weeks of the Christmas season. We are working hard to respond in a responsible manner, putting the safety of our people, and the communities we serve, first.

Canada Post is advising customers across the country to expect delays with their parcel deliveries. The heavy incoming parcel volumes, combined with the important safety measures we’ve implemented in our processing facilities, mean it is taking longer to process. Those measures include physical distancing in facilities that were never designed for keeping people two metres apart.

We continue to operate across the country and have been delivering in record numbers. For example, on Monday April 20, we delivered more than 1.8 million parcels to Canadians. That’s similar to the biggest delivery days we see during the Christmas season. Customers should continue to track their parcels online through canadapost.caor the Canada Post app.

Canada Post is proud to continue providing an essential service to Canadians as everyone does their part to stop the spread of the virus. Our top priority from the start has been to put safety first. That has meant implementing significant changes right across our operations, following the guidance of national and local public health authorities.

Other important changes regarding parcels:
Parcel Delivery: To eliminate customer interactions at the door, reduce post office customer traffic and support social and physical distancing, we have implemented a Knock, Drop and Go approach. Delivery employees knock or ring, choose the safest location available to leave the item and then depart for the next address. This change eliminates the need for signatures at the door, speeds up delivery and has greatly reduced the number of parcels sent to our post offices for pickup.

Parcel pickup at post office: For the remaining parcels left at the post office for pickup (items requiring ID), they will not be returned-to-sender until further notice. We’ve suspended our normal 15-day hold period. We ask that customers who are feeling ill or self-isolating, to please delay their visit to the post office and to pick up their parcel when it’s safe to do so. We’ve put physical-distancing measures in our post offices and installed clear plastic guards at the counter.

We thank Canadians for their continued patience and support for the measures we’ve put in place for everyone’s safety. Please continue to provide our people with at least two metres of space when you see them out in the community or at a post office.
For a full list of the changes we’ve put in place and other updates related to COVID-19, please visit canadapost.ca and click on the banner at the top of the page.

Photos courtesy Canada Post.

The first known U.S. postal worker has died from the coronavirus, according to the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. Anthony Smith (below) was a member of Local 307 in Detroit.

Smith worked for the USPS for 30 years, and served in the Army for 12. He “was married and loved kids; he helped raise fifteen children,” the NPMHU said. “Anthony loved music, a good barbeque and singing karaoke. He was a funny man that enjoyed telling jokes and spending time with family and friends.”

U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) are worried the U.S. Postal Service “will not survive the summer” because of the coronavirus epidemic, and is calling for billions of dollars from the federal government. She says the postal agency has seen a “drastic” reduction in mail volume, and says the end of the USPS would imperil the delivery of prescription drugs and election ballots.

“Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House,” Maloney and Connolly said in a statement Monday night, which you can read here.

The original House emergency funding for the coronavirus epidemic included extra money for the USPS. That may or may not survive in the eventual compromise approved by the House and Senate. However, Maloney and Connoly have also introduced a bill providing $25 billion to the USPS, while requiring it to prioritize medical deliveries.

As of 3 a.m. Wednesday, the U.S. had 55,225 known cases of COVID-19. They include at least 20 postal workers. The U.S. makes no mention in its latest update on the epidemic [March 22, 2020] of any impact on its mail volume. In fact, it boasts, “We are the leading delivery service for online purchases,” while Amazon.com and other mail-order merchants are reporting a surge in business caused by all the stay-at-home orders.

The New York Times looked — exhaustively — at that question. While it is impossible to say for certain that the coronavirus cannot be transmitted from the letters, flyers and packages in the mail, especially given possible mutations of the disease and the wide variety of papers and cardboards, it appears not.

David Partenheimer, a spokesman for the Postal Service, noted that the surgeon general, Dr. Jerome M. Adams, along with the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, has “indicated that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail.”

The NYT article includes the history of quarantines (including the word’s origin) and sequestering the mail to make sure it didn’t carry disease.

“The bottom line is that there is some hypothetical risk of viable viruses surviving on mail,” Dr. James O. Lloyd-Smith of UCLA said. “But given the time periods involved, this seems like a pretty minimal risk to the general public.”

One of the experts interview by the Times simply recommends washing your hands with soap and water after handling your mail. “I want to preserve the good sanitizers for risky things, and hand washing works just as well as spraying,” said Ben Chapman of North Carolina State University.

Lloyd-Smith says he’s more worried about the mail sorters and carriers who are handling the mail as much as 12 hours a day.

[press release]
Important Changes to Canada’s Postal Service

OTTAWA, March 23, 2020 /CNW/ – Canada Post understands the important role the postal service plays and is committed to serving Canadians while taking action to keep our people and our communities safe. To do so effectively in these challenging times, we will continue to review and quickly adapt our approach with health and safety as our primary goal.

Canada Post has initiated the following changes to our delivery operations and retail postal network:

Changes to our retail Post Office network

Hours of Service: In many post offices operated by Canada Post, we will reduce hours of service, opening one hour later and closing one hour earlier to clean, restock and provide some relief to employees. As well, for the first hour of each day, we will offer priority service to those whom are at a higher risk (the elderly or people with compromised immune systems). Franchise operated post offices will follow the measures put in place by franchise operators.

We are working to keep our post offices open, but some may close due to building closures beyond our control and some smaller locations may close due to personnel reasons. In these cases, we will direct customers to the nearest operating post office.

Social & Physical Distancing: We are asking waiting customers to please space themselves 2 metres (6 feet) apart. We are working on signage and floor decals for larger post offices. For smaller offices, we will look to limit the number of customers. We are also working on clear barriers for the counter to increase safety.

Transactions: We will continue to accept cash, but are encouraging customers to pay by using the “tap” function on their debit or credit cards where possible.

Parcel pick-up: Parcels left at the post-office for pickup will not be returned-to-sender until further notice. We’ve suspended our normal 15-day hold period. We ask that customers who are feeling ill or self-isolating, to please delay their visit to the post office and to pick up their parcel when it’s safe to do so. Further changes to our parcel delivery process are below.

Changes to how we deliver

Parcel Delivery: To eliminate customer interactions at the door, reduce post office customer traffic and support social & physical distancing, we have implemented a Knock, Drop and Go approach. Delivery employees will knock or ring, choose the safest location available to leave the item and then depart for the next address. This change eliminates the need for signatures at the door and greatly reduces the number of parcels sent to our post offices for pick-up.

Items that require Proof of Age, ID or Customs payments will be sent directly from our depots to a retail post office for pick-up with no restrictions on when customers can pick up the item. Customers will receive a Delivery Notice Card in their mail letting them know which post office is holding their item for pickup.

Service guarantees: Our goal is to continue providing timely and reliable service. But to be safe, give our people time and manage potential challenges, we have suspended on On-time Delivery Guarantees for all parcel services, until further notice.

Help with Social Distancing

We please ask you to respect social and physical distancing with our employees who you may see out in the community. This will further support the social distancing initiatives we’ve implemented in our plants, depots and post offices. Like other organizations providing important services, our people are working hard under difficult circumstances.

During delivery: Please give our employees space and avoid opening the door or greeting them personally when they are at the door to deliver, or filling a community mailbox.

In post offices: When in a retail post office, please practise social distancing and the other measures that have been implemented.

While we all support social and physical distancing efforts to keep our communities safe, social interaction from a distance is still very much appreciated by our people. A simple smile and wave through the window to your delivery agent, a supportive thumbs-up to the driver of the Canada Post truck as they go by or patience and a thank you to the person working at the post office all go a very long way these days.

We thank Canadians for their patience and support during this period of significant change. We continue to follow the guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) when it comes to creating new safety measures in our plants, depots, post offices as well as in our communities.

[en Francais]
Changements importants apportés au service postal du Canada

OTTAWA, le 23 mars 2020 /CNW/ – Postes Canada est consciente de l’importance du service postal et s’engage à servir les Canadiens tout en prenant des mesures pour assurer la sécurité de ses employés et de la population. Pour y arriver de manière efficace en ces temps difficiles, nous continuerons d’analyser nos approches et de les adapter rapidement en faisant de la santé et de la sécurité notre objectif principal.

Postes Canada a apporté les changements suivants à ses opérations de livraison et à son réseau de vente au détail :

Changements apportés au réseau de bureaux de poste

Heures de service : Dans de nombreux bureaux de poste exploités par Postes Canada, nous réduirons les heures de service, en ouvrant une heure plus tard et en fermant une heure plus tôt afin de nettoyer les lieux et de réapprovisionner les stocks en plus de donner un certain répit au personnel. De plus, au cours de la première heure de chaque journée, nous offrirons un service prioritaire aux personnes à risque élevé (les aînés ou les personnes dont le système immunitaire est affaibli). Les bureaux de poste franchisés suivront les mesures mises en place par les exploitants.

Nous nous efforçons de garder nos bureaux de poste ouverts, mais certains pourraient fermer en raison de fermetures d’édifices hors de notre contrôle. De plus petits emplacements pourraient aussi fermer pour des raisons liées au personnel. Dans ces cas, nous dirigerons les clients vers le bureau de poste ouvert le plus près.

Mesures d’éloignement physique et social : Nous demandons aux clients dans la file d’attente de se tenir à deux mètres (six pieds) les uns des autres. Nous concevons actuellement des affiches et des autocollants de sol pour les grands bureaux de poste. Pour les petits bureaux, nous chercherons à limiter le nombre de clients. Nous travaillons également à la création de panneaux transparents pour les comptoirs afin d’accroître la sécurité.

Transactions : Nous continuerons d’accepter l’argent comptant, mais nous encourageons les clients à utiliser la fonction de paiement sans contact de leur carte de crédit ou de débit, dans la mesure du possible.

Ramassage de colis : Les colis laissés au bureau de poste aux fins de ramassage ne seront pas renvoyés à l’expéditeur jusqu’à nouvel ordre. Nous avons suspendu notre période de retenue normale de 15 jours. Nous demandons aux clients qui se sentent malades ou qui s’isolent volontairement de retarder leur visite au bureau de poste et de ramasser leur colis lorsqu’il sera sécuritaire de le faire. Vous trouverez ci-dessous d’autres changements apportés à notre procédé de livraison des colis.

Changements apportés à nos méthodes de livraison

Livraison des colis : Afin d’éliminer les interactions avec les clients à la porte, de réduire l’achalandage aux bureaux de poste et d’appuyer les mesures d’éloignement physique et social, nous avons mis en place la politique « Sonner, déposer, quitter ». Les employés de livraison cogneront ou sonneront à la porte, choisiront l’endroit le plus sécuritaire pour déposer l’article, puis se dirigeront à l’adresse suivante. Ce changement élimine les signatures à la porte et réduit considérablement le nombre de colis envoyés à nos bureaux de poste aux fins de ramassage.

Les articles qui nécessitent une preuve d’âge, une pièce d’identité ou la perception de droits de douane seront envoyés directement de nos postes de facteurs à un bureau de poste aux fins de ramassage, sans restriction quant au moment où les clients pourront ramasser leurs articles. Les clients recevront une carte Avis de livraison par la poste qui indique à quel bureau de poste se rendre pour récupérer leurs articles.

Garanties de service : Notre objectif est de continuer à offrir des services rapides et fiables. Cependant, pour assurer notre sécurité, donner du temps à nos employés et gérer les défis potentiels, nous avons suspendu les garanties de livraison à temps pour tous les services des colis jusqu’à nouvel ordre.

Faciliter l’éloignement social

Nous vous demandons de respecter les mesures d’éloignement social et physique si vous croisez nos employés dans votre collectivité. De cette façon, vous appuierez davantage les initiatives d’éloignement social que nous avons mises en œuvre dans nos établissements, nos postes de facteurs et nos bureaux de poste. Comme dans d’autres entreprises qui fournissent des services importants, notre personnel travaille fort dans des circonstances difficiles.

Pendant la livraison : Laissez de l’espace à nos employés et évitez de leur ouvrir la porte ou de les saluer de près lorsqu’ils effectuent des livraisons à la porte ou remplissent une boîte postale communautaire.

Dans les bureaux de poste : Lorsque vous êtes dans un bureau de poste, respectez les mesures d’éloignement social et les autres mesures qui ont été mises en place.

Nous appuyons bien entendu toutes les mesures pour assurer la sécurité de la population, mais l’interaction sociale à bonne distance est toujours très appréciée par nos employés. Sourire et saluer de la main votre agent de livraison, lever le pouce en signe de soutien au conducteur d’un camion de Postes Canada lorsqu’il passe ou faire preuve de patience et remercier la personne qui travaille au bureau de poste sont tous des petits gestes qui encouragent notre personnel.

Nous remercions les Canadiens de leur patience et de leur soutien pendant cette période de changement important. Postes Canada continue de suivre les directives de l’Agence de la santé publique du Canada (ASPC) en ce qui concerne la mise en place de nouvelles mesures de sécurité dans nos établissements, nos postes de facteurs, nos bureaux de poste et nos collectivités.

As of January 26, 2020.

This page is not meant to be a comprehensive list of current U.S. Postal Rates, rather, just the ones most commonly used by individuals. For a comprehensive list from the USPS, click here.

First Class (Retail)

The domestic Priority Mail Retail Flat Rate prices are:

The domestic Priority Mail Express Retail Flat Rate prices are:

Large Envelopes (“flats”):
These should be bendable, by at least half an inch.

“First-Class Package Service—Retail,” which the USPS calls “a lightweight expedited offering used primarily by businesses for fulfillment purposes,” is for non-bendable “flats.” It includes tracking, at about half the cost of Priority Mail. However, it is not easy to produce a table for this service, because the rate now ranges from $3.80 to $4.20 for up to four ounces, depending on distance. Higher weights are available, too.

To determine a domestic zone, use this tool on the USPS website. Choose the second tab, “Get Zone for ZIP Code Pair.” Here’s the rate chart:

Thank you to VSC member Foster E. Miller III for his help on this article.