Rallies are taking place around Bainbridge Island and the rest of Kitsap County this week in support of the U.S. Postal Service.

Participants wrote postcards that were delivered by hand to postal workers at the Winslow branch thanking them for their work during these trying times, Holly Brewer of Indivisible Bainbridge Island said.

Lisa Glaze delivered flowers to postal workers and also made a shrine to them, using flowers from her yard.

People took postcards with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s work address on them and ideas about contacting the board responsible for hiring him.

The folks are protesting cutbacks in the postal service so close to the November elections. They are concerned about their mail-in ballots.

They also are protesting a law passed in 2006 that has led to huge losses ever since. The law requires the USPS to pre-fund its retirees’ health benefits up to 2056. That $5 billion cost is a requirement no other entity has to make.

Mary Gleysteen said in Kingston several demonstrators there live at the senior apartments at Village Green and turned out waving U.S. flags. Response from locals and ferry traffic was largely favorable, she added.

There were more than 800 rallies nationwide.

Those joining the actions call on DeJoy to resign in the wake of mail slowdowns, and call on Congress to “protect and save the post office from Donald Trump” and act to safeguard the integrity of our mail and elections. This administration of the postal service has removed mail sorting machines, eliminated people in leadership positions and eliminated overtime.

Congress is looking at a bill that would require the USPS to maintain the same level of service it had on Jan. 1, 2020, through the end of the year.

Joining Indivisible in the rallies are: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MoveOn, NAACP, RuralOrganizing.org, Service Employees International Union, Vets for the People and the Working Families Party.