Postal Service Offers Absentee Mailing Tips

Absentee Voters are encouraged to mail ballots early

COLUMBUS — A record number of absentee ballots are expected to be cast for Ohio’s March 4th primary and the Postal Service is making every effort to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of absentee ballots coming from and being returned to the County Boards of Elections around the state.

The Postal Service suggests mailing ballots early and recommends doing so at least five days before the due date. Voters are asked to check to make sure the correct postage is affixed to the ballots in counties where the return ballot does not have pre-paid postage. Depending on the size or weight of the envelopes, the ballot may require more than one First-Class postage stamp. Ballots will vary from county to county. If uncertain, voters should verify postage at a Post Office location.

Voters who want to verify delivery of their absentee ballots may wish to use Certified Mail or Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation.

Voters mailing ballots from out-of-state or those mailing closer to the Election Board’s deadline, may wish to use Express Mail service for delivery guarantee and tracking. The local Post Office can provide additional information.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.