Postal Service election mailers raise questions, stir confusion in California
Sacramento County officials are criticizing the use of a nationwide mail-in election circular meant to inform Americans about mail-in voting as many states eye remote democracy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
You probably got one in the mail — a postcard sent by the United States Postal Service that read: “If you plan to vote by mail, plan ahead.”
But local leaders say there’s probably a lot less planning necessary than the document makes out.
“There is information on this postcard that is not relevant to the voters in California and causing confusion,” said Janna Haynes, a spokeswoman for Sacramento County.
The county takes issue with two of the bullet points listed on the reverse side of the USPS mailer, one of which warns voters to request an absentee ballot at least 15 days before election day and another that advises them to add postage if necessary.
Many states do require advance requests for mail-in ballots, but in California, all active registered voters will sent a ballot for the 2020 election, starting Oct. 5. Additionally, Californians don’t have to worry about getting a stamp. All mail-in ballots come with prepaid postage.
After filling them out, Sacramento County residents can either mail their ballots out to the local elections office or leave them in an official drop box — though they must be postmarked by Nov. 3 — or drop them off at a vote center, where in-person voting will still be taking place.
In a statement, the USPS did not directly address the potentially misleading statements on its informational circulars for California voters.
“In August, the Postal Service began to roll out an omni-channel public information campaign that will continue through Election Day to educate the public on the Postal Service’s role in the mail-in ballot process,” USPS spokeswoman Meiko Patton said. “The non-partisan campaign neither encourages nor discourages mail-in voting; rather, it is designed to reach and inform all voters about the importance of planning ahead if they plan to vote by mail.”
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 11:05 AM.
