👎Gum it up - Action Alert, June 1, 2026

beachesactivistmov
2 days ago
4 min read

Protest Proposed USPS Vote-by-Mail Rules

Following a federal court decision, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will publish proposed rules this week, radically changing requirements for participating in vote-by-mail. The new rules --- prompted by a Trump executive order --- would require state election officials to send USPS a list of voters who have requested a ballot with unique barcodes at least 30 days before ballots are sent out under state law. USPS would use the information to deliver ballots only to voters on the list, and to "determine adherence to federal law and facilitate law enforcement efforts." This is blatantly unconstitutional election interference! States are responsible for running elections, and only Congress can set national standards. A slew of lawsuits are expected after the rules go into effect. The proposed rules are part of the Trump strategy to sow confusion and suppress voting in the upcoming mid-term election. Vote-by-mail has been in his crosshairs, despite bipartisan findings documenting its safety, security, and only rare incidents of fraud.

In the meantime, we have 30 days to overwhelm the USPS with public comments against the proposed rule. The message is simple: this is unconstitutional over-reach by the executive branch and USPS that creates more barriers to voting and burdensome requirements for local election officials, and threatens voter privacy.

Mail your written comments to Director, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015.
Email your comments, with your name and address, to: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “Ballot Mail.”
Extra credit: add this to your list of demands for your weekly call to FL Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, and Rep. John Rutherford. Reach them through the Capitol switchboard (202.224.3121) or email by clicking on their names.

They're Baaaack Yet Again

It feels like Groundhog Day. The FL Legislature adjourned last Friday after passing a $114.5 billion state budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year, but returns to Tallahassee today at the behest of the governor for yet another special session. The budget is headed for the governor's desk where he is expected to use his line-item veto authority to trim it further. On the positive side, the budget includes money for teacher raises; on the negative side, it boosts funding for vouchers without needed increased transparency, and includes numerous earmarks and tax cuts for corporate supporters and political allies.

Local Beach officials will give their perspectives on "The Good and the Bad of the 2026 Legislative Session" at the Wednesday, June 3 Beaches Watch meeting at the Beaches Library. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.

The purpose of this week's special session is to secure legislative approval for a ballot measure that would cut property taxes in the state --- a pet priority of the governor. The proposed plan, according to the Florida Policy Institute, would kneecap local governments, school districts, and municipalities, and make it harder to fund vital services families, seniors, and businesses rely on and need. The Institute estimates the proposal would cost local governments about $18.5 billion, which breaks down to $7.8 billion for counties, $3 billion for cities, and $7.7 billion for school districts. If passed by the legislature, the proposed constitutional amendment would require approval by 60% of voters in the November general election. Don't let FL Sen. Clay Yarborough and Rep. Kiyan Michael vote for the Desantis plan to handicap local government without hearing from you.

The Trump Slush Fund: File Your Grievance

While the courts have at least temporarily halted the implementation of the $1.8 billion slush fund designed to compensate Trump cronies and January 6 attackers allegedly targeted by the federal government, we love this satirical protest created by the Politics Chicks to gum up the processing of claims by the Justice Department! It features a tongue-in-cheek application for compensation that can be downloaded, completed, and submitted by mail. All mail received by a government agency must be logged, opened, and processed. The goal of the protest is 16.5 million filings --- 5% of the population --- which organizers calculate will take a team of 100 dedicated staff 7 years to work through!

"The form is a satirical protest document. It is not an actual federal form, and completing it will not result in a check, a phone call, a resolution, or any acknowledgment whatsoever from the federal government — which, as you may have noticed, is something of a pattern," note the organizers. "The humor is the delivery system. The grievance is real." Check out the We the Aggrieved campaign and download the form here . It will make you smile.

RSVP for BAM Meeting

Save the Date! Rise Up, Sing Out on June 14th!

On June 14, BAM and Indivisible groups around the country are joining the Committee for

the First Amendment (CFA) in hosting Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action, with support from the No Kings Coalition. The event is planned as a counter-protest to Trump's birthday party, which will feature the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) cage match on the White House South Lawn (I wish I were making this up). We are planning a Rise Up, Sing Out watch party at the Beach! --- where we'll livestream the national live event and share food & drink with fellow activists! Watch for details soon.

Watch This! 250 for 250

Historian Heather Cox Richardson just released the first set of one-minute videos from her 250 to 250 Project honoring the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! They are incredible, and as she describes the series, "a lovely break from the pace and pressure of the daily news." Find them here.

Every Saturday! Beaches Library Protest

Join the crowd at the Beaches Library every Saturday from 10 - 11:30 a.m. Rain or shine!

It's a great way to meet like-minded people and encourage our neighbors to think twice about policies they may not like - and join us in objecting.

Thanks to the Neptune Beach Coalition for organizing!

RAISE HOTLINE: 1-888-600-5762

Have you recently seen, interacted with, been detained, or know someone impacted by ICE? Call the hotline. Alert local Legal Observers and connect detainees with assistance and resources. Email us to learn more about how you can help!