Submitted by GrowingToBread t3_ymtu9f in Pennsylvania
When I send in my mail-in ballot each year (Allegheny county), I need to add a stamp. Not a big deal.
But I just found out that my girlfriend's ballot in Beaver arrives to her with postage already paid.
What's up with that?
My initial thought is that they do this in counties where they expect more democratic ballots than republican, but maybe there's a less insidious reason I'm missing.
Thanks, I didn't realize. I thought election rules were always handled by the state.
Why are ppl downvoting you for saying "thanks, I thought wrong."
Weird.
Here's an upvote for your positive contribution
[removed]
Rules are handled by the state, smaller procedural steps are handled at the county level, like stamps. A post here a few days ago showed a mail in ballot envelope that had a new format from one's in previous years, whereas mine is the same as before. Apparently some counties ordered better-designed envelopes and some didnt.
Elections are run by the 67 County boards of elections in Pennsylvania.
It is the county election board that decides whether the ballot requires postage or not.
When it comes down to it, it's a matter of whether the county has the budget and the election board wants to make voting easier.
Thanks. I always thought election rules were handled by state, not county.
OP, I appreciate the way you responded thanking people for clarification. I am curious why you assumed there was a political /party based thing here. Minimum rules are at state level but counties ultimately run election, print ballots, and make decisions Including funding postage paid envelopes. It's a shame that the running of badic government responsibilities has been politicized so heavily. The people that work at county level are non political public employees trying to do thier very best to make sure ever citizen gets thier vote counted and has access to vote.
Some counties decided that they wouldn’t go to the effort to “cure” ballots and instead put your ballot in the trash because you didn’t hand write a date on it or sign it. There’s a reason some counties want every vote to count and some don’t.
It has been made a big political issue because the republicans have made it so. How many times have you heard them, from Trump on down, that we shouldn’t be voting by mail ballots? Have you seen the kooks around the country dressed up in body armor open carrying guns to “watch” the ballot boxes? It’s freaking Crazy! So anyway I can understand his comment. I really feel bad for the county people who work so hard to do everything they can do to help people vote and the ones working the election who are being harassed for just doing their job.
> I am curious why you assumed there was a political /party based thing here.
You don't watch MSNBC? Republicans are always scheming in all imaginable and unimaginable ways to suppress democrat voting.
Don't you remember how Louis DeJoy was purposefully removing mail sorting machines so mail ballots would not get delivered on time in the 2020 election?
The guy is still the postmaster general by the way. Biden must have forgotten what a supervillain that guy is and didn't replace him yet.
Yeah, put down your political spin. The president can’t fire the postmaster general. It is not a cabinet position and has its own funding outside congressional appropriations.
What could possibly go wrong with that
The Wolf administration had used federal pandemic aid money to front the cost of mail ballot postage for the 2020 election, but that money ran out a while ago.
It SHOULD be free for everyone and everyone SHOULD have the ability to vote by mail.
even if you drop it without postage, the USPS will still deliver official ballots.
True. I gave my ballot to a postal worker and she told me I forgot to put on a stamp. I just assumed it would be free idk. She said they keep all the ballots segregated and that she would put a stamp on mine, whatever that means.
And they still had enough left over to fix our parks....
Vote blue, always
[deleted]
One thing that is aggravating is that it is very difficult to find out exactly how much postage is actually required. While some news reports had reported you need two stamps that is not correct, and even the USPS website is not really any help. The first year of the pandemic our county didn't supply postage but the past 2 years they have.
I am voting in person because of all this BS.
Voting Fetterman and Shapiro.
Bucks county was not postage paid. I had to pay for the stamps to mail it. I was surprised.
This was my first time doing mail in ballots & I was def baffled by needing a stamp. Guess that's my "we should be making it easier for people to vote" mindset getting the best of me.
Side note: still wasn't as ridiculous as going to my polling place & having my party affiliation broadcasted to the entire fire hall full of shitty looks. That was last election, hence the mail in ballot this go round. Just when you thought it couldn't be handled any worse.
If you can possibly vote in person, you really should. PA hasn’t got the best track record with accepting mail in ballots.
And what are you basing this opinion on? I am a poll worker and mail in my ballot bc I’m too busy working on Election Day. I can assure you that PA accepts all ballots received by 8 pm on Election Day.
The fact that three counties in PA rejected thousands of ballots because the outside envelope wasn’t dated to their satisfaction.
The PA Supreme Court ordered they be separated not rejected. Like previous elections, they will be reconsidered if they are thought to be consequential to the outcome.
But I agree, if you can’t handle following the required directions, vote in person.
It is a county by county decision. You can turn your conspiracy brain off.
[deleted]
[deleted]
[deleted]
It varies by county. I for one had to place a postage stamp on mine but others said they didn't have too. But apparently say that on r/politics and then get down voted for it because someone who lives in CA just knows better than a person who lives in in this state.
I had to add a stamp. Butler county
What?!? This must be voter suppression at work. Lol
[deleted]
Seems to me people voting in a statewide election should be held to the same standard. This isn’t that.
We all participate in nationwide elections and have 50+ different systems for doing that. (not saying this is good or bad, just saying...)
That’s a good point. The difference though is we don’t have direct nationwide voting any representation. We vote at the state level even for things like president. We do have direct statewide voting.
Democrats are the party of election fraud, likely they’ve some reason for this. Did Wolf put through another late night scam like he did in 2020?
geriatric_tatertot t1_iv5guoz wrote
The county commissioners and/or election board decided to pay for postage.