Elections leaders calling for US Postal Service to fix mail-in ballot issues
Elections officials across the United States are hoping problems with the U.S. Postal Service will not disenfranchise voters in the upcoming presidential election.
In Palm Beach County, Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link says there were some problems in the August primary that she hopes won’t be an issue in the upcoming general election.
Link said that in the August Primary election, some voters did not get their mail-in ballots sent to them, and that the elections office at times received other people’s mail and some voter information cards and sample ballots were returned to the elections office without an attempt to deliver them.
This comes as officials with the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors told the head of the U.S. Postal Service in a letter that it hasn't fixed these persistent problems.
The problems include mailed ballots that were postmarked on time but were received by election offices days after the deadline to be counted.
They also noted election mail was returned as undeliverable, which could create problems when those voters show up to cast a ballot.
That letter was sent less than two weeks after the postmaster general said the USPS is "fully focused" on delivering the nation’s election mail in the general election.
In Palm Beach County, Link says she is in contact with local U.S. Post Office officials about getting these issues addressed as well and is hoping the issues will all be resolved ahead of the upcoming general election.
"I'm hopeful," Link said. I really have no way of knowing, you know, exactly what they've done at this point. Yeah. I think that, again, given the number of things that we send out, and we were talking about probably a couple hundred thousand ballots that are being mailed, so in the large scheme of things, it's a very small number, but obviously, anything above zero is too much for us."
Link says there are a few things voters can do to help reduce the chance of any issues.
One is remember the deadline to register to vote by mail is Oct. 24. If you plan to mail in your ballot, you should do that at least 10 days before the election, since it has to arrive at the elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
You can also sign up for BallotTrax online and make sure your signature is on your ballot.
Also, remember ballots can only be mailed to your permanent address and not a forwarding address.
The U.S. Postal Service sent the following statement to WPBF 25 News in response:
"The U.S. Postal Service is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. In 2024, just as we have in previous elections, the Postal Service will fulfill our role in the electoral process when public policy makers choose to utilize the mail as a part of their election system or when voters choose to utilize our services to participate in an election. We employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling and delivery of all Election Mail, including ballots. Election Mail in Palm Beach County is current. Postal management is aware that earlier in the year, mail not intended for the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections was inadvertently included with their mail pickup, and we have taken steps to resolve that issue.
"We have been in close communication with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections throughout the year and are unaware of any recent concerns related to Election Mail, including ballots. We continue to work closely with them and look forward to successfully fulfilling our role in the November election."
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