Mon Oct 22, 2012, 04:32 AM

Absentee ballot postage confusing voters

Source: ABC

Thousands of Ohio voters are voting by absentee ballot this year so they don't have to stand in line at the polls on Election Day. Ohio Boards of Elections expect at least 25 percent of all votes to come in this way.

But the U.S. Postal Service says many absentee voters are not putting enough postage on the envelope.

Because of the size of the 2012 mailer,the Hamilton County Board of Elections in Ohio say you should put 65 cents worth of postage on most absentee ballots, about 20 cents more than the standard Forever Stamp.

Making it more confusing: each county has a different absentee ballot. In a few counties, including Warren County, the required postage can be even higher. In Clermont County, which has a thinner ballot, a single stamp may be fine.

Read more: http://www.theindychannel.com/money/dont-waste-your-money/absentee-ballot-postage-confusing-voters_67466917

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38 replies	Author	Time	Post
Absentee ballot postage confusing voters (Original post)	bathroommonkey76	Oct 2012	OP
post office needs to deliver them no matter what postage pn them - nt	msongs	Oct 2012	#1
Hell, more simple than that, it needs to be postage free. A poll tax is a poll tax is a poll tax...	DRoseDARs	Oct 2012	#2
+1000!	Fearless	Oct 2012	#3
Pretty damn obvious to me, too.	marble falls	Oct 2012	#20
Yes, they should deliver them but NO, it's no more a poll tax -	lynne	Oct 2012	#25
yep	2pooped2pop	Oct 2012	#11
PUT ON TWO STAMPS TO BE SAFE. Instructions with the ballot should say so, and they should be advert-	RBInMaine	Oct 2012	#4
The news station is in Indiana, not Ohio.	bathroommonkey76	Oct 2012	#5
Front page of Columbus Dispatch a few weekends ago	ColumbusLib	Oct 2012	#22
"Instructions with the ballot should say so..."	greiner3	Oct 2012	#8
It's an issue the voting board is going to have to remedy. I always put two stamps on mine.	RBInMaine	Oct 2012	#33
Here in Colorado the place for the stamp says "requires 65 cents of postage."	joshcryer	Oct 2012	#37
My daughter's ballot is mailed back in here in Ohio	NEOhiodemocrat	Oct 2012	#6
It would be in the Postal Service's best interest to deliver those ballots...	Blue State Bandit	Oct 2012	#7
WA state	Carigal	Oct 2012	#17
Is your signature on the outside envelop in Ohio?	HockeyMom	Oct 2012	#9
That's the best way to go. Bring it in in person.	LisaL	Oct 2012	#16
The secrecy sleeve should protect your vote.	joshcryer	Oct 2012	#38
"about 20 cents more"? Would it have hurt the reporter to give the precise figure?	muriel_volestrangler	Oct 2012	#10
I was wondering about this for my absentee ballot for CT	wordpix	Oct 2012	#12
What is the rate for junk mail?	julian09	Oct 2012	#13
Junk mail is NOT forward-able NOR Returnable, thus cheaper	happyslug	Oct 2012	#21
It's a slippery slope	Tree-Hugger	Oct 2012	#14
Is This Different Than Past Elections	DallasNE	Oct 2012	#15
The postal service should deliver them no matter what.	UCmeNdc	Oct 2012	#18
I agree and can we get a "Deliver the Vote" petition going?	wordpix	Oct 2012	#19
There may be a law that compels them to deliver because voting is government business.	L0oniX	Oct 2012	#23
My c0unty (Bergen) in NJ had the same problem, fortunately solved by a Democratic county clerk	Jersey Devil	Oct 2012	#24
unfortunately my clerks in CT are both R	wordpix	Oct 2012	#28
In this day and age...	defacto7	Oct 2012	#26
My Absentee ballot envelope is postage prepaid: Image	Melinda	Oct 2012	#27
Not necessarily	Retrograde	Oct 2012	#29
now I'm feeling discriminated against b/c I live in CT, put a stamp on & don't know if I should have	wordpix	Oct 2012	#31
As someone who's done a bit of graphic design,	bigworld	Oct 2012	#30
Is Anyone Else	RobinA	Oct 2012	#32
It costs $1.30 in Lucas County	du_grad	Oct 2012	#34
If you want to make your voice heard--go to the post office!	Maeve	Oct 2012	#35
I wasn't sure of the postage here in CA, but it does state that it is .65 in the	IndyJones	Oct 2012	#36

Response to bathroommonkey76 (Original post)

Mon Oct 22, 2012, 04:52 AM

msongs (30,517 posts)

Absentee ballot postage confusing voters

1. post office needs to deliver them no matter what postage pn them - nt

2. Hell, more simple than that, it needs to be postage free. A poll tax is a poll tax is a poll tax...

3. +1000!

20. Pretty damn obvious to me, too.

25. Yes, they should deliver them but NO, it's no more a poll tax -

11. yep

4. PUT ON TWO STAMPS TO BE SAFE. Instructions with the ballot should say so, and they should be advert-

5. The news station is in Indiana, not Ohio.

22. Front page of Columbus Dispatch a few weekends ago

8. "Instructions with the ballot should say so..."

33. It's an issue the voting board is going to have to remedy. I always put two stamps on mine.

37. Here in Colorado the place for the stamp says "requires 65 cents of postage."

6. My daughter's ballot is mailed back in here in Ohio

7. It would be in the Postal Service's best interest to deliver those ballots...

17. WA state

9. Is your signature on the outside envelop in Ohio?

16. That's the best way to go. Bring it in in person.

38. The secrecy sleeve should protect your vote.

10. "about 20 cents more"? Would it have hurt the reporter to give the precise figure?

12. I was wondering about this for my absentee ballot for CT

13. What is the rate for junk mail?

21. Junk mail is NOT forward-able NOR Returnable, thus cheaper

14. It's a slippery slope

15. Is This Different Than Past Elections

18. The postal service should deliver them no matter what.

19. I agree and can we get a "Deliver the Vote" petition going?

23. There may be a law that compels them to deliver because voting is government business.

24. My c0unty (Bergen) in NJ had the same problem, fortunately solved by a Democratic county clerk

28. unfortunately my clerks in CT are both R

26. In this day and age...

27. My Absentee ballot envelope is postage prepaid: Image

29. Not necessarily

31. now I'm feeling discriminated against b/c I live in CT, put a stamp on & don't know if I should have

30. As someone who's done a bit of graphic design,

32. Is Anyone Else

34. It costs $1.30 in Lucas County

35. If you want to make your voice heard--go to the post office!

36. I wasn't sure of the postage here in CA, but it does state that it is .65 in the