(This article appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)
In 2025, we experienced a year full of never-before-seen attacks on the working class and the public Postal Service. Health care premiums for millions of Americans are skyrocketing, the Department of Education is being dismantled, immigrants are actively being targeted, and countless jobs have been lost, especially in the federal workforce. Prices for everyday goods and services continue to rise, all while the ultra-rich received one of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history.
Many of you have reached out to ask if the Postal Service is still on the chopping block. Unfortunately, the threat of postal privatization has not gone away. Furthermore, members of Congress are working to rescind federal funding for the Postal Service’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet and to stop our ability to collect union dues from paychecks.
This year, we must show our collective strength at the polls. Preserving the public Postal Service, protecting our union wages and benefits, and many other crucial rights, are on the ballot.
Now is the time to fight back! In addition to yourself, encourage your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and members of your community to register and make a plan to vote. It is important to note that voting begins in the primary elections, which are well before November.
Be a Primary Voter
At the time this article went to press, only a few states had held their primaries for the midterm elections. With many competitive primaries this election season, it is important that everyone exercises their right to vote. Historically, primary election voter turnout is less than half of the general election turnout, according to the States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to the rule of law and free, fair, secure elections.
Primary elections are the best chance for pro-postal, pro-labor, and pro-worker candidates to advance to general elections. Visit www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/2026-state-primary-election-dates to find your state’s primary election date and www.usa.gov/state-election-office to locate your state’s voter resources.
Save the Date! 2026 Midterm Election Briefing at the APWU National Convention
The APWU National Convention will convene just ahead of the midterm elections. On Sunday, Aug. 16, the Legislative and Political Department will hold an election briefing from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Attendees of this briefing will receive an update on the political lay of the land, an overview of the APWU election program, and engage in conversation about how we can be most effective in driving out the union vote to elect candidates who will fight for postal workers, a public Postal Service, and the working class. Registration for this briefing is required, which will start on April 1. To register, visit apwu.org/events