POSTAGE PRESENTS A PROBLEM FOR SOME VOTERS

[Ferret Annica]

By Susan Palmer

The Register-Guard

Published: Oct 21, 2008 09:07AM


Participating in the general election will cost Lane County voters an extra 17 cents, and the news is giving some of them fits.

Chalk it up to a candidate-rich and measure-heavy environment, said county elections official Annette Newingham. So many contests and measures had to be included that the ballot, on heavy card-stock paper, wound up being 2 inches longer than normal, pushing it, plus the secrecy envelope, plus the main return envelope, just beyond the 1-ounce weight limit for a 42-cent stamp.

There was no way to shrink the ballot and keep it legible, Newingham said.

“I’ve had a lot of people mad at me because of this,” she said.

Jim Stephenson, who lives in Santa Clara, said he mailed his ballot in on Saturday with a 42-cent stamp on it instead of the 59-cent one required.

He worried that his ballot might be returned to him but not in time to resend it, he said.

“You feel like you’re up in the air without a parachute,” he said.

http://registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/1223237-35/story.csp

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Not accidental, I would bet.

[Goldom]

2. Denver ballot cost me 3 stamps

Well, its in the range between 2-3 but I'm not gonna go buy small denomination stamps for 1 use. But it says it right on the envelope

[JanusAscending]

3. That is very interesting...........

considering that I got a letter from Sarah Palin, asking for a campaign donation the other day. Her letter had a postage stamp that read "Non profit org.", but didn't include a pre paid envelope for me (like I would use it, NOT!) Since when has the Republican National Committee been "non profit? Are all political parties considered non profit?? Somebody "talk me down"!! I saved the envelope in case I had to mail it to KO, or Rachell!!

[beac]

7. Scan it and email it to the Obama campaign AND Keith/Rachel.

Bulk postage is one thing, but 'non-profit' sounds fishy...

[Doctor_J]

14. You should fill it with pennies and send it back. It would cost Mooseilini

a lot to get it back.

[Diclotican]

16. discerning christian

discerning christian

You could give Sarah Palin a donation for what you do in the toilet you know.. i would guess you really is telling the republicans then, what you really feel about them... If I was living int he US. And I got something like that.. I would more than "possibly" have given them a message they would not exactly love.. Maybe not the most civilized thing to do.. But you have to have "some" fun I guess..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[JanusAscending]

19. You know........

I really thought of returning her letter with the message, "I don't contribute to LIARS and CROOKS"! However, it wasn't worth the price of a postage stamp for me. You see, I'm living alone, on a fixed income( Social Security )and disabled, so I have to save my "pennies". However, if she had included a postage free envelope, I would have. As for your suggestion...PITY the poor mailman!:rofl: :hi:

[Diclotican]

20. discerning christian

discerning christian

I se, off course, the penny stuff is important when you have to live on just enough to live.. I know, have been there.. on something like your Social Security.. No fun, but at least you survive...

Yes, the poor mailman.. But someone have to sacrifice for the greater good you know:evilgrin: :toast: And I think that if the republican's have got a poo in their envelope I guess they had got the message. At least from you...

I would have doing it. Even that I am in no way rich... The current republicans just stink, as a tree-four day poop would have been doing.. I guess many republicans in the more traditional way is scared to their death about the whole McCain/Palin stuff.. I doubt they are SO stupid every single republican..

Diclotican

Sorry the bad english, not my native language

[AndyTiedye]

4. Most People Will Have to Put 2 42¢ Stamps On It. Who Has 59¢ Stamps?

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Good grief! How many more chickenshit complaints...

about this year's election are yet to come?

17 cents... Oh the horror! Oh the humanity!

[kimmylavin]

10. Not sure that's the problem.

Its not the money.
Its the fact that the ballot probably doesn't list in a VERY BIG way that the envelope needs extra postage, and some people might not get the envelope back in time to send it properly.

[JanusAscending]

15. GET a grip !!

n/t

[jclay]

6. Oregon's vote by mail

I live in Eugene Oregon. Yes the 59 cent stamp debacle is screwing things up here. It's not about the extra 17 cents (obviously) it's about the fact that they don't tell you about the needed extra postage in an obvoius place. It's buried 5 lines down on the insert. A 42 cent stamp has ALWAYS gotten our ballots mailed out in the past. I called our elections office to ask why they did not put this requirement on the front of the envelope as I've seen on other oversized envelopes. She had no answer for me. My husband was just getting ready to mail in his vote for Obama when I noticed the postage change on the insert. I don't know how this will affect our beautiful "blue" state!

[beac]

8. Unreal. Surely they could have found 59 cents per citizen to make them pre-paid envelopes?

Or at least have covered the extra 17 cents???


I hope someone is filing suit to make sure these get delivered,postage due or not. I'm sure some philanthropic person (paging Soros!) would be willing to reimburse the USPS for the extra cost.

[PatSeg]

9. I just checked mine

and the instructions clearly say that it requires '59 cents in postage, or two first class postage stamps.' (California)

It really sucks if the voter is not clearly informed about the additional postage.

[4lbs]

11. Here in CA the postage required for absentee ballots this year is 60 cents if I read it correctly

off my local CA SoS website.

My father buys those "forever" postage stamps and just affixed two of them on his absentee ballot. That's about 84 cents. Should be enough even if the postage is higher than 60 cents.

[Dr.Phool]

12. Since we had that problem in 2004, in Pasco County, FL

All our return envelopes state clearly what the return postage is. And it's also on a bright pink sheet of paper with the ballot.

[PatSeg]

13. That is good

There wasn't anything on my envelope, just on the instructions inside. Though it was very clear, "bright pink" or another bright color would have been even better.

[anitar1]

17. It was announced late last night that County Elections

Office would pay for the postage. This was only for Lane county ad we have lots of free drop off boxes around the towns.I never mail mine in, just drive by a box and drop it in. Don't even have to get out of my car.In fact all drop off box addresses are included with the ballot.How hard is that to do ??

[jclay]

18. drop box problems

What about elderly people who can't drive to drop boxes, or young voters who don't have cars or drivers licenses? They buried the 59 cent stamp requirement in the ballot insert too! I've voted in Oregon for many years and a first class stamp has always delivered my ballot. It also bugged me that Obama's name was last on the list of presidential candidates. I think Nader was first.