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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe USPS is accused of 'confusing' voters by mailing all Americans 'postcards with misinformation'
about votingThe United States Postal Service was accused Friday of misleading American voters in mailing the same postcard about absentee voting to all Americans despite variances among how states are choosing to conduct their November election.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said Friday that the USPS postcard was inaccurate and could be "confusing" to voters.
"I just found out the @USPS is sending this postcard to every household and PO Box in the nation. For states like Colorado where we send ballots to all voters, the information is not just confusing, it's WRONG," Griswold said in a tweet late Friday.
The nationwide USPS mailer encourages voters to plan ahead if they decide to cast their ballot by mail. While the postcard says "rules and dates vary by state" and encourages voters to find individual state policies online, it tells voters to "request their mail-in-ballot" at least 15 days prior to Election Day, echoing its previous guidance from July.
Griswold pointed out that voters in several states. including Colorado, would not need to request an absentee ballot because the state would be mailed to every registered voter. Business Insider previously reported most or all registered voters in California, Colorado, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, and Vermont, will automatically have a ballot delivered to them via the USPS.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-usps-is-accused-of-confusing-voters-by-mailing-all-americans-postcards-with-misinformation-about-voting/ar-BB18XOAg?li=BBnb7Kz
Statistical
(19,264 posts)If you have a single mailing going to all 50 states in which the rules are different in each state you need to speak more generally and conservatively.
Stuff like "You MAY need to request a ballot. Check with your state elections office"
Hekate
(90,202 posts)...believing this is a simple error. In fact you might say Im POd.
Sending out false info as to dates, times, and locations is an old Jim Crow trick. DeJoy has raised it to the Federal level.
jimfields33
(15,473 posts)The post office probably should have catered it to each state. It was nice to send but one version for 50 individual elections probably wasnt thought out.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)In states where vote-by-mail ballots are sent automatically to all registered voters, just ignore any requests based on the USPS postcard. Problem solved!
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)LisaL
(44,962 posts)Especially if information is not tailored to specific state rules.
KS Toronado
(16,911 posts)Will be hand delivering my ballot to a drop box.
Kaleva
(36,147 posts)I thought it was pretty simple to understand.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)reported.
Kaleva
(36,147 posts)The USPS flyer offers good advice and suggests one requests a ballot (if applicable) at least 15 days before the election.
Vinca
(50,170 posts)Hekate
(90,202 posts)With DeJoy put in charge to both wreck the USPS & suppress the vote, I have a hard time believing this is a simple error. In fact you might say Im POd.
Sending out false info as to dates, times, and locations is an old Jim Crow trick. DeJoy has raised it to the Federal level.
Tommymac
(7,263 posts)Now let's watch them scuttle about.
stopdiggin
(11,095 posts)but, here's a suggestion. If you're interested in voting by mail (or voting in general) -- take three or four seconds to find our what the process and procedure is in your state. Every state in the nation has this information readily available and accessible. And -- if you are easily confused (or distracted, or just plain stupid) -- there are plenty of resources in your own community (libraries, civic groups, voter registration) that will be happy to walk you through the necessary steps. Your part in this is to -- turn off your f**king TV, stop dithering and wringing your hands -- pick up the phone and start getting some answers. I promise you -- it's not that hard!
sl8
(13,584 posts)Make7
(8,543 posts)I would assume when looking up the information on how to request a ballot, those states that are sending them to every registered voter would probably inform people that they don't need to request one (if their address is the same as their voter registration) since it is being sent to them automatically.
Registered voter: I'd like to request an absentee ballot.
Colorado Election Official: Ballots are being sent automatically to all registered voters in Colorado. As long as your address hasn't changed from your voter registration information, you don't need to do anything your ballot should be arriving soon. Thank you for calling/writing.
This seems like such a minor issue to complain about given how many actual issues there are regarding voting in this election.