Here we are October 31 and my ballot for Lebanon county still NOT mailed!?!!

Submitted by Silver-Hburg t3_yhzbct in Pennsylvania

Approved since August 29th and every time I call Lebanon county they say oh there are a lot of ballots we send out hundreds every day. Where the fuck is mine I’m out of state for work and started my absentee process in EARLY AUGUST! This is absolutely inexcusable… who do I call and what can I do? Am I going to have to spend a grand to fly home and back on Tuesday to vote??

UPDATE: Holy crap it finally came in today 11/2 with only 6 days to return it!

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appleslady13 t1_iuiw7ww wrote

That's ridiculous. I think you're at the point where you have to ask to speak to a manager, or someone with authority. And then politely insist they figure out where your ballot is and get it in the mail now, since you're out of state. And if you get pushback, say things like "the slow process to this point is going to prevent me from exercising my right to vote, is that ok with you?!"

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Illustrious_Air_1438 t1_iujm3rv wrote

Last year I didn't get my ballot until the day after the election, 4 weeks after it was supposedly sent (Lehigh County). Although the postmark was several weeks after the date the county claimed to have mailed it, so I suspect it was just sitting there for weeks. Unfortunately I would have had to travel 600 miles to vote, so I didn't vote. I don't think there is any recourse for this situation.

Edit: By the way, I think the ballot status page is not very meaningful. I completed and mailed my ballot back to Lehigh County two weeks ago, and they received it last week. But the "Ballot Mailed On" column is still blank.

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Pf18929 t1_iujl18x wrote

Contact your county Board of Elections office again at (717) 228-4428. Better yet, show up TOMORROW in person (Room 209, Municipal Building 400 South 8th Street Lebanon, PA 17042-6794) to request a new ballot tomorrow, fill it out, and hand it right back. TOMORROW, 11/1/22 is the last day to request a mail-in ballot, so it would need to be done then. Hours are 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. You can also try calling the PA Dems Voter Hotline 833-PA VOTES (833-728-6837) but my guess is they would direct you to the county BOE.

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Silver-Hburg OP t1_iujlqlh wrote

Everyone seems to miss the part that I’m 900 miles away for work and won’t be back in town until December.

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Pf18929 t1_iujn4sb wrote

Sorry I thought your meant you’re out of town only on Election Day. I’d call the dem hotline and see if they’d refer you to anyone. Idk maybe the ACLU.

Otherwise, if you have the means to fly back and vote that may be your only option.

I share in your frustration because you did everything you were supposed to do and the county dropped the ball. No way it gets there and back unless you convince them to overnight it to you and then overnight it back.

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geriatric_tatertot t1_iujzas5 wrote

Absoulety call the Dem voter hotline tomorrow. When they do mail your ballot you’ll need to pay for overnight mail back to their office if its within a few days of the election. I did have a person who did absentee & in FL receive his ballot today that was mailed on 10/27 from SCPA. So the mail is moving.

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nintendollparts t1_iukarii wrote

This is happening to me too in York County

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Confident_End_3848 t1_iuijbh8 wrote

Contact your county to get a new ballot. Allegheny lets you go pickup your ballot in person and fill it out at the counter.

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Silver-Hburg OP t1_iuixqfk wrote

Yay downvotes … seems oddly ironic.

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--Cr1imsoN-- t1_iuiytba wrote

Lancaster sent them out pretty quickly. Took only a week. Can you apply for one again?

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BFreeFranklin t1_iuij47t wrote

Cast a provisional ballot at your polling place

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Silver-Hburg OP t1_iuijbfc wrote

My local poling place is 900 miles away from where I am working the next 6 weeks … hence the reason for the absentee ballot …

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oldschoolskater t1_iuiny4d wrote

You're exactly the reason why we need mail-in ballots. Unfortunately a lot of people are using mail in ballots who live a couple of blocks from a voting place, and are physically capable of voting in person but choose not to for convenience.

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Keinichn t1_iuithza wrote

> Unfortunately a lot of people are using mail in ballots who live a couple of blocks from a voting place, and are physically capable of voting in person but choose not to for convenience.

And there is nothing wrong with that. If anything, it makes in-person voting more efficient because there will be less crowds and shorter lines.

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Odd_Description_2295 t1_iuige34 wrote

Because usps was defunded

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Silver-Hburg OP t1_iuigy6e wrote

It hasn’t even been mailed yet on the ballot status page so that means it’s been sitting for months at Lebanon county voter services…

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Odd_Description_2295 t1_iuiszvr wrote

Oh, so they are cheating?

What a surprise

Its only registered dems that ever go through this.

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PensiveLog t1_iuivm9e wrote

If it was a USPS issue, all of the other counties wouldn’t have gotten their ballots in September. Used to work in Lebanon, based on that experience I’m guessing the officials assume all those ballots are illegal so they aren’t mailing them out.

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BrainWav t1_iuj52f2 wrote

My grandparents, both registered Democrats in Lebanon County, got their ballots weeks ago. While I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's shenanigans down on 8th Street, it isn't everyone at least.

I'm still going in person to vote though, because I don't trust the crazies around here not to go smash up a drop box or something.

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PensiveLog t1_iuj7eo3 wrote

Well that’s a plus. Maybe OP being out of town is raising unnecessary red flags?

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