CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH (WOIO) –
Lots of people are voting by absentee ballot this year, but you could create big a problem for yourself if you don’t take heed of something 19 Action News discovered on Wednesday.
The ballots are too heavy to get back to the Board of Elections with a simple .44 cent first class stamp.
The envelopes say affix first class postage, but if you just slap a .44 cent stamp on the envelope you’ll be short postage, and your ballot will be returned by the post office. That could cause real problems if you mail it right before the election.
There are two processes going on at the Board of Elections. First, absentee ballots are being sent out to people who request them, not to everyone. So if you want one, request one.
Second, 50,000 ballots have already poured into the board for the November 8th election. Board Director Jane Platten says there is still plenty of time to vote absentee.
“If I get your ballot the day after Election Day, but its postmarked November 7th, I can still accept it,” Platten said.
That is the key, it must be postmarked by the day before the election.
“When you send your ballot back this year its going to cost .64 cents.”
That’s .20 cents more than the usual .44 cent first class stamp you might use. And it’s an odd number. We found some people just put two stamps on, but at .88 cents they are overpaying.
To someone unaware extra postage is needed, a ballot could be returned to you too late to get it back to the board in time to count. And that could put you in a position to have your ballot not counted.
“We will work those details out on a case by case basis with the post office, but they will notify us again immediately if there’s a problem with any ballots,” said Platten.
http://www.19actionnews.com/story/15677050/stamps
Article Courtesy of WOIO 19 Action News
