Mail Delaying Ballots Beyond Ohio's Primary Day

Some Ohio Voters will Not receive Ballots in time for Tuesday's, April 28th, delayed Primary, which is supposed to be happening almost entirely by Mail.

The Postal Service is mainly to Blame, Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) said Thursday, although the Problem has been Compounded by the overwhelming flood of Absentee Ballot Requests that County Election Boards have struggled to Fulfill in time.

By this week, 1.7 Million Ohioans had Requested a Ballot. Four years ago, only 185,000 Voted-by-Mail in the Primary and 1.2 Million did so in the General Election, or about One in Five Voters.

Saturday, April 25th, is the Last day for Ohioans to Request an Absentee Ballot for the Primary, creating a nearly impossibly tight Turnaround for Election Officials and Postal Workers. First-Class Mail, which usually arrives in One to Three days, is now taking a Week or longer in Ohio, LaRose said in a Letter to the State's Members of Congress. "As we approach the April 28 deadline to complete the election, we are faced with an obstacle that is outside of our control," he wrote. "As you can imagine, these delays mean it is very possible that many Ohioans who have requested a ballot may not receive it in time."

Voters Without an Absentee Ballot in hand by Monday may Cast a Provisional Vote the next day at their County Board of Elections Office. A week ago, LaRose instructed County Officials to provide this Option. But it's Not clear how that will work with Social Distancing Requirements in place and Elections Staff expecting relatively Small Numbers of Voters.

Completed Mail Ballots must be Postmarked by Monday night, April 27th, and arrive within 10 days in order to be Counted, or they may be Delivered Tuesday to the County Offices.

In his Letter, LaRose asked for Congressional Intervention to Direct Additional Staff to Ohio USPS Offices, pushed for the Postal Service Processing Facilities to stay Open Sunday, and asked for a thorough Search of Mail Facilities to find Unprocessed Mail.

Voting Rights Advocates warned the Legislature that its Plan would Not provide enough Time for the Absentee Voting Process to be carried out completely, but their subsequent Lawsuits were Rejected. LaRose and Gov. Mike Dewine (R) advocated for Extending the time for Voting to June 2nd.










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