[EL] Big changes to the USPS and mail balloting

[Paul Gronke]

Lorraine

I am not clear on the impact on NVRA.

In terms of domestic absentee and VBM ballots, most states now mail their domestic absentee ballots 45 days before the election, at the same time that the UOCAVA ballots are put in the mail.  (Yes, this means some absentee ballots for the 2012 primary will be hitting the mails in a few weeks!)

Oregon has a pretty tight schedule for its VBM process, something that I think is a real plus.  Voting materials are mailed approximately 18 days before the election.  

The question here would be whether an intrastate mailing like a ballot mailed from a county office to a citizen in the same county would actually be any slower under the new system.  I'm not aware of the specifics of USPS procedures, but I wonder if a local mailing like that would never get out of the local office and into one of the regional sorting centers.  I thought the cutbacks were all going to be at the regional centers.
---
Paul Gronke                Ph:  503-517-7393
			               Fax: 734-661-0801

Professor, Reed College
Director, Early Voting Information Center 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland OR 97202

EVIC: http://earlyvoting.net

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On Dec 6, 2011, at 12:06 PM, Lori Minnite wrote:

> Has anyone seen any commentary or analysis of the likely impact of the 
> proposed changes in the U.S. Postal Service on the timeliness of 
> government mail - and especially election-related mail - that can't yet 
> be replaced with an Internet-based fix?  I'm thinking here about the 
> mailing of absentee ballot applications and ballots, and the required 
> mailings associated with the list purging requirements of the NVRA.  
> Does anyone think there is a downside for election mail of privatizing 
> first class U.S. mail service?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Lori Minnite
> 
> 
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