US

Cher denied the chance to volunteer for the US Postal Service and, no, this isn’t a 2020 fever dream

Cher denied the opportunity to volunteer for the US Postal Service

(Tara Ziemba/Getty Images)

Picture it: The doorbell rings, you run down the stairs, tighten your dressing gown in a way that hides that week-old stain and put down your cup of coffee to open the door and there, holding your mail, is Cher.

But the question remains, is yet another coronavirus fever dream?

Well, as postmaster general Louis DeJoy faces intense backlash over cost-cutting moves that lawmakers, state attorneys and voting rights activists say could throw the entire election into jeopardy, Cher delivering parcels could soon become a reality.

The singer is vying to help the United States Postal Service as dramatic changes within the relative apolitical agency have roiled the Democrats and even some Republicans.

Cher, 74, offered her services to two post offices in Malibu, California, but was turned down after calling around to inquire about volunteer work. Denying Cher the chance to volunteer would make quite the Tinder bio for whatever Postal Service staffer had the honours.

Cher is coming to a mailbox near you. Maybe.

In a string of tweets, Cher echoed the sense of unease felt by millions of Americans who have seen the Postal Service – a lifeline for many rural communities and the only way some receive crucial medication or social security cheques – be gouged by a Republican mega donor and an ally of president Donald Trump.

Accounts of slowdowns and bungled service are becoming rife among many post offices, all the while Trump peddles unsubstantiated claims of election fraud if it is carried out with mail-in ballot, have struck

On Wednesday (19 August) Cher asked her 3.8million followers whether she can volunteer at a post office, and then appeared frustrated when people didn’t take her seriously.

A United States Postal Service supervisor had to casually tell the gay icon: ‘No, we do not accept volunteers.’

Hours later, and she revealed that she had rung up two post offices in Malibu. “I said, ‘Hi, this is Cher, I would like to know if you ever take volunteers?’

“Lady said she didn’t know and gave me [the number] of supervisor. I called and said, ‘Hi, this is Cher, do you accept volunteers?’

“‘No, need fingerprints and background checks,'” the supervisor told Cher.

Representatives of USPS confirmed to People that the agency does not accept volunteers, but “there are many opportunities for employment at the Postal Service, including seasonal hiring”.

But hope may not be entirely squashed for Cher – the American Postal Workers Union — which represents mail workers — responded to one of Cher’s tweets: “Thank you for standing up for the USPS! If you’d like to DM us, we’d love to talk about how you can get more involved.”

A ballot box inside Boston City Hall is available for residents to drop off their mail in ballots. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Cher’s interest in mail delivery comes as Trump and DeJoy have sowed discord with their handling of cost-cutting measures that have messily collided with an upcoming presidential election that will vastly be conducted via mail.

DeJoy, who was brought into the post in May, said in a statement earlier this week that operational measures decried by union officials and postal workers, such as reducing post office hours and removing postal boxes, would be suspended until after the election.

However, it remained unclear whether the agency would reverse measures already carried about across the country. While experts and employees stress the Postal service is more than capable of handling the election, many have expressed concern about whether the measures have already inflicted deep cuts into the system.

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