On Thursday, May 28, postal workers in Salt Lake City, UT, held a press conference to discuss the results of a new, national bipartisan poll on Vote-by-Mail and to show the APWU’s Vote-by-Mail television advertisement, which debuted at the Vote-by-Mail campaign kickoff event in Ohio in April. The ad began running on broadcast and cable television in Salt Lake City today.
The Utah League of Women Voters Utah President Katharine Biele joined Utah APWU State President Amy Parke and Salt Lake City Area Local President Russ Franklin at the event, where they presented the APWU Vote-by-Mail ad and highlighted key takeaways from the pair of surveys administered by Hart Research and North Star Opinion Research. The Utah League of Women Voters is a voting rights and voter education organization.
The poll results show that:
- One-third of Americans rely on Vote-by-Mail to cast their ballots, including almost half of senior citizens
- Voters are confident in the Postal Service’s ability to handle ballots properly
- Voters want to continue, rather than abolish, Vote-by-Mail by an overwhelming 22-point margin
The findings highlight widespread bipartisan support for Vote-by-Mail, reinforcing its status as a trusted and valued option for millions of Americans. Voters are confident that the Postal Service can and should handle ballots and election mail, and in states that offer broad use of Vote-by-Mail, like Utah, voters largely oppose efforts to limit its use.
“I have family in the middle of Utah, in Fillmore and Meadow, who can’t easily get to the polls,” said Parke. “I have a disabled mother in Salt Lake City who depends on Vote-by-Mail. And as a postal worker processing that mail, I use it too.”
“I worked 40 years for the Postal Service — hand-stamping ballots at the window, processing mail at night, sorting to carriers,” added Franklin. “Ballots are marked and run through our processes first. I know that mail is handled with priority.”
The APWU launched the nationwide campaign to defend and expand Vote-by-Mail in April, underscoring the essential role that postal workers play in supporting the democratic process. The initiative includes the rollout of a 30-second digital ad and the bipartisan poll results showing strong public support for Vote-by-Mail.
The television ad features a diverse group of voters sharing their reasons for voting by mail. It concludes with a clear message: “Vote-by-Mail — Keep It, Protect It, Expand It.” The ad initially aired in Ohio markets and has since expanded to Georgia, Nevada, and Utah, and will continue to expand throughout the 2026 election season in Washington, D.C., and states where voters are heading to the polls soon or already voting by mail in the primaries.
Vote-by-Mail has a long and well-established history in the United States, dating back to the Civil War, when soldiers cast ballots from the battlefield. Today, it remains a vital component of the nation’s election infrastructure. In the 2024 general election, approximately one in three voters used a mail ballot. All states currently offer some form of absentee or mail-in voting, with several states conducting elections almost entirely by mail. The option is particularly popular among older voters and those seeking a convenient and accessible way to participate in elections.
Despite its proven track record of security and reliability, Vote-by-Mail has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years. The APWU’s campaign aims to counter efforts that seek to undermine public confidence in the system and to advocate for policies that ensure continued access to this critical voting method.
Through this campaign, postal workers are reaffirming our commitment to delivering not only the nation’s mail, but also the ballots that help sustain American democracy.
