In February, the APWU commissioned a national survey to better understand the public’s sentiment on the public Postal Service and attempts at privatization. To maintain an unbiased survey, the union commissioned the help of two ­firms from opposite ends of the political spectrum, the liberal Hart Research company and conservative North Star Research. Hart Research and North Star worked with the APWU to conduct a survey of registered voters to provide a deep exploration of their attitudes on the Postal Service and the question of postal privatization. To see how attitudes have moved or changed, the survey also included questions from a survey conducted on privatization in 2018.

Key Findings

1.  American voters oppose Postal Service privatization by an overwhelming 34-point margin.

• 60% of voters oppose privatization.

• Embracing privatization is also likely to be a political liability for candidates.

2.  Opposition to privatization is broad, crossing partisan and demographic lines, and is notably strong in rural communities.

• Opposition substantially exceeds support in every region of the country.

• 65% of voters under 35 voice the strongest opposition to privatization.

• 58% of rural voters oppose privatization, which is surprising given the 23 point Republican lean in the 2024 Elections.

• 94% use USPS to receive online purchases, 91% for sending and receiving letters, 88% to receive bills, and 70% for catalog purchases.

3.  Voters worry that privatization will lead to higher prices at a time when inflation concerns remain elevated.

• 56% of voters believe that privatization would result in higher prices

• Voters predict that privatization also would have a negative rather than positive effect on the quality of postal services in their community (40% worse, 25% better).

• 72% of voters are very unfavorable to the idea of closing many local Post Offices (a likely consequence of privatization).

4.  Voters have a very positive view of the U.S. Postal Service, and they believe that it does a good job or meets their needs, so privatization does not speak to an appetite for change or address a perceived problem.

• 74% of voters have a positive view of the Postal Service and 81% have a favorable view of postal workers.

• 96% of voters say that mail service is important for their family, including 68% who say it is very important.

• 86% rely on USPS to receive bills

5.  Voters embrace several alternative non-privatization policies that would strengthen USPS finances.

• 77% of voters favor making office supplies available for purchase in Post Offices.

• 72% favor making hunting and fishing licenses available for purchase.

• 60% favor making magazines and newspapers available for purchase.

The survey results indicate that the outlook is good in our ongoing fight against privatizers trying to sell off our public Postal Service for profit. We should remain steady in our message – the U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale!

The public is overwhelmingly on our side across partisan, demographic, and geographic lines. Additionally, 84% of voters indicate that the messenger who they want to hear from about fighting privatization is postal workers who know the ins-and-outs of our treasured public institution. So, we encourage you to make your voice heard at town halls, rallies, and with op-eds in your local newspapers. Even speaking with your friends, family, and neighbors can go a long way in educating our communities about the dangers of privatization. Together we will protect and preserve our public Postal Service. 

Click here to read more about the Voters’ Views on Privatization of the Postal Service survey or download the PDF below.