Ohio GOP board members block plan to pay postage on mail-in ballots

[RandySF]

A postage plan for Ohio's mail-in ballots failed to gain approval from Republicans on a key panel in the state, a move that reportedly makes it all but impossible for ballots to get stamped in time for the November election, The Associated Press reported.

The proposal, put forward by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, failed in a 2-4 vote as Republicans on the Controlling Board opposed approving $3 million from a special fund to cover the postage of mail-in ballots. LaRose argued that the cost was within the law, with the fund previously being used to cover the costs of voting machines, poll worker training and other election-related fees.

“A no vote today is a no vote that is over the objection of our bipartisan election officials and over my objection as the state’s chief elections officer,” LaRose said.

LaRose had called his postage funding proposal an “innovative solution” that would make “every mailbox a dropbox for millions of Ohioans." It was a final effort to address a mail-in voting changes needed during the coronavirus pandemic, as previous election changes have stalled in the GOP-controlled state legislature earlier this year.



https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/516422-ohio-gop-board-members-block-plan-to-pay-postage-on-mail-in-ballots

[jorgevlorgan]

1. Wait what?

A postage plan for Ohio's mail-in ballots failed to gain approval from Republicans on a key panel in the state, a move that reportedly makes it all but impossible for ballots to get stamped in time for the November election, The Associated Press reported.

Why?? Is the window to send it back going to be that small they wouldn't have time to put a stamp on it?? I'm confused here.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

2. It means there won't be time for a postage-paid stamp.

Postage will be needed from the absentee voters if they mail them.

I plan to deliver mine directly to my local BOE drop-box.

[jorgevlorgan]

4. Thanks! I was confused about that

Vote by mail in California wasn't postage paid until the last few years either. I don't think it is the worst thing in the world. People just have to plan ahead.

[LisaL]

6. If people don't have stamps they can take it to the drop box or the post office.

And pay to mail it. In fact if they are mailing the ballot close to the election and can't get to the drop box, they should take it to the post office and ask post office to post mark it.

[progree]

3. Why postage really is a big deal -- encyclopedic article

Some of the below are my notes on the article. Some of it are excerpts.

Title: Cost, hassle of stamps questioned as mail-in voting surges, AP, 7/18/20

Not being able to afford stamps. Not being able to order stamps online because of lack of credit card or not having Internet access. Stamps ordered online taking a long time (example: 2 weeks) to arrive [that was back in the good ol' days -Progree]

The postage debate has extended this year to include young voters, who have little experience sending and receiving paper mail and visiting post offices. As part of its lawsuit, the Georgia ACLU submitted statements from young voters who had never used a stamp.

Another complication with requiring stamps is knowing how much postage to use.

Election boards are required by federal postal regulations to include in a voter's packet exactly how much postage is required to return their ballot. Some states, however, require a copy of a valid ID, verification of college enrollment status or notary documentation, and that can add an unknown amount of weight to the ballot, which requires more postage.

Marti Johnson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service, said the post office delivers every piece of election mail to its destination — with or without adequate postage. [this was back in July before DeJoy fucked everything up -Progree]

"We are proactively working with state and local election officials on mailing requirements, including postage payment," she said in a statement. "In cases where a ballot enters the mailstream without the proper amount of postage, the Postal Service will collect postage from the appropriate Board of Elections."

Advocates argue that most voters, and particularly voters who fear being disenfranchised, aren't likely to mail a ballot without postage and trust the system to deliver it. [or anyone who follows the news -Progree]

More: https://apnews.com/524741faf588ec3c7b4f9ea759805352

[LisaL]

5. So far everybody who requested a ballot in OH had to mail in a ballot application with a stamp on it

So those people who requested ballots managed to get the stamps.
The only concern is that ballot might require two stamps instead of one.

[progree]

7. In Minnesota, I've gotten ballot request applications that were post-paid, no stamp required

And if in Ohio, they weren't post-paid, then that article covered all the situations where that would be an obstacle to people mailing in a ballot request (except that the extra postage isn't an issue to sending the ballot application).

I fully realize that it's all very simple to you and me. Just have to plan ahead and think blah blah. But our population is on a continuum as far as ability and intelligence and frankly making much of an effort, and every barrier knocks out some people.

Actually I found it all incredibly tedious -- making sure I did everything right (lots of instructions), keeping track of things -- when did I mail the application in, when will I expect the ballot, checking online that everything is OK, etc., and I'm an engineer. I also had to keep track of one ballot requests and 2 ballots -- the August primary and the November general election. I know people who would find this overwhelming and wouldn't bother or just give up midway or wouldn't get it all done or done right.

Another issue was that I had an absentee / mail-in voting application request form sent to me by The Center For Voter Information. I had to research them, because I didn't know if they were a Rethug front organization that would just shitcan anything from my address (Rethugs do microtargeting down to the address level). After finding The Center For Voter Information was probably legit, I still decided it would be better to find my state's Secretary of State office and see if they had a way where I could request a ballot application (or fill in online). Yup. But got another, and then another from The Center For Voter Information, and then I'd worry why am I getting this since I filled in a ballot request online, is everything OK? sigh.

There are tons of articles about all the other complications of mail-in voting beyond postage, and that the demographics with the highest ballot rejection rates are also predominantly Democratic constituencies. I just can't blow all that off -- I wish I could, but I can't. Not after two stolen elections that included every possible method to suppress the vote disproportionately of Democratic constituencies.

To me it was worth it (mail-in voting in a time of Covid), but next time, when Covid isn't a problem, I will be doing regular early voting (show up at city hall), or at the polls on election day. YMMV.

[LisaL]

8. Our ballot applications were send out to everybody registered to vote, but they weren't

post-paid.