Mailed my ballot off 3 weeks ago. They still don't have it

Submitted by Annahsbananas t3_ypokoa in Pennsylvania

And the worse news out of all of this is I'm currently in the hospital so I can't vote today...hence the reason for the mail in ballot.

I've called some other folks who mailed theirs off too and every single one of them has to do a provisional ballot because usps did not deliver the ballots to the electoral stations.

This is in the York area. What is USPS doing?? I've gotten mail from California delivered in shorter time during this time frame.

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ornery-fizz t1_ivk7yne wrote

Pennsylvania emergency provisional ballot can be done by 8pm today https://www.vote.pa.gov/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx

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IJellyWackerI t1_ivk7yro wrote

Definitely something fishy in York IMO. Too many issues with mail in ballots for it to be coincidence.

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susinpgh t1_ivjznrv wrote

Can you call the York Election Board? Is it possible to sign a waiver for a provisional ballot so that a designee can deliver it? I don't know, just asking the question.

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Annahsbananas OP t1_ivk43u2 wrote

i did call them.. They just said they'll call me back....they've said that for a couple weeks now but they never did. York County doesn't seem to be troubled by it

It literally takes usps two days to mail a letter form York to Harrisburg center back to York again so the three week issue is pure bullshit.

I even called usps and they stated they are experiencing unusual high amount of mail. Which is bullshit because I've gotten letters from CA and TX in half the time during this exact time frame

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hiding-identity23 t1_ivkftql wrote

If they’re not calling you back, do you have somebody that can go to the office and stand at the desk and raise a ruckus until they call you and straighten it out. I don’t remember the exact process, but I know there is a way to vote from your hospital room even if you intended to vote in person and got admitted at 6:30 a.m. Election Day.

Edit: I’m not suggesting anybody get violent or anything like that. Just be problematic enough to get addressed but not arrested.

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susinpgh t1_ivk4yy5 wrote

FFS. I am so sorry that is happening.

Have you tried the Vote411 number?

1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

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michellezon t1_ivkdl1k wrote

Trumpers believe that mail-in ballots are Demonrat votes. Even mail handed in at a post office is handled by a couple of workers. I wouldn't doubt that some ballot envelopes would get dropped on the floor and kicked under a bin.

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One_Awareness6631 t1_ivk218k wrote

I never even received my ballot!! I'm glad my spidey senses went off a few weeks ago and I got the issue corrected, but how many others did that happen to that didnt?

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One_Awareness6631 t1_ivk26l0 wrote

Also, I went to the office IN PERSON, filled it out, and handed it to them. I will probably never vote by mail in PA ever again. A mess.

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The_RonJames t1_ivliovg wrote

I see all these horror stories about voting by mail but here in Mercer our ballots come quick and get returned quick. Must be lucky and have a great election staff.

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getaway_car67 t1_ivmgt0s wrote

I never got mine either! I did a provisional ballot at my polling place today but I’m so angry. I called and left multiple messages and never heard anything. The website says they never even mailed it

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One_Awareness6631 t1_ivocmhm wrote

may I ask your party registration and is your county red? i have to admit, they helped me immediately and I was at the office to pick up ballot next day and just filled it out there, but still..something is off

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getaway_car67 t1_ivp1ovk wrote

I’m Democrat and I’m in Allegheny. I assume they just had “too many calls” to return mine. I probably could’ve tried harder, but it felt like 4 times was enough.

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One_Awareness6631 t1_iwb0irl wrote

Four times is 3 times too many! I went to my county website and was able to find email address for election board. I wanted a paper trail so I emailed first and was shocked when it was returned by the next day.

It definitely make ya wonder. I’m just glad that the Gov and US Senate race results were the favorable outcomes. I’m definitely never doing mail thing again unless the entire process is overhauled.

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[deleted] t1_ivk9zlv wrote

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Annahsbananas OP t1_ivkan3x wrote

If they did, they went through great lengths as I put it in the post office box at thr post office

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[deleted] t1_ivkba3z wrote

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[deleted] t1_ivkooip wrote

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TacoNomad t1_ivkt4tz wrote

You don't pay to drop mail in a drop box. I think you're confusing the mail box that customers receive mail in, with mail drop boxes. They have drop slots inside the post office and one outside for when they are closed, usually.

Nobody would put outgoing mail into a paid, locked PO Box.

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awesomesauceitch t1_ivlbf8b wrote

I don't know where my confusion came from. I thought someone had the ballot sent to a po box, but didn't receive it and someone claimed (maybe someone fished it out). My mistake for sure.

I think I conflated 2 situations.

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TacoNomad t1_ivlea3d wrote

No worries. I was like, yeah, that is what a po box is, but in, not in this context.

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rovinchick t1_ivkculj wrote

This is a plausible explanation. 6 people were arrested for fishing out of a mailbox right outside of the post office in Massachusetts. Those are the highest volume boxes and likely to be targeted.

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Memento-Mori-357 t1_ivka5hb wrote

Mail is historically bad in pa. My mother in law sends birthday cards to my kids and we are in NJ about 40 mins away. There’s an 80% chance they never make it to us. For years it’s been like this. She’s mailed them from home, the usps centers, mailboxes, etc. all spotty

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Ct-5736-Bladez t1_ivkhjey wrote

USPS is the only reason I’m distrusting of mail in voting. I’ve lost too much mail through USPS either they lost it, it got destroyed in a sorting machine, delivered to the wrong place, contents stolen, etc etc. don’t get me wrong Mail in voting is needed.

Hope you have a speedy recovery back to full health OP

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veepeedeepee t1_ivl2s6f wrote

I realize that all of those things can happen, but fortunately, when you mail in a ballot, you get an email from the Commonwealth's Department of State updating you on the status of your ballot and if it was received. If you hear nothing, then you should definitely get in touch with someone at your county's board of elections and try to figure out next steps.

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The_RonJames t1_ivlj61f wrote

I’m a mail carrier in PA and the mail ballots get treated above and beyond any mail piece. Management personally drives them to the county courthouses so they make it. It’s one of the very few things USPS gets right.

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GareBear222 t1_ivl9pv1 wrote

This is why I'm concerned about mailing my ballot in and chose to vote in person.

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Annahsbananas OP t1_ivldbuk wrote

I'll still get the mail in ballots but I'll return by hand from now on

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sunblazestop t1_ivk52rk wrote

I mailed ours back in York without a problem. How did you find out that it wasn’t received? We did not receive the email confirmation for one of them, but the ballot website does indicate that it was received if you scroll to the far right column. The first column says something strange about being unverified but I’m trusting the last column trumps that.

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Annahsbananas OP t1_ivk5p8k wrote

I've been checking the "Check your ballot status" online.

It shows they never received it. I called them too. They stated they never got it

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sunblazestop t1_ivk7dzc wrote

Ugh that’s so awful! I just looked mine up again and now I’m paranoid that it says mine was recorded but it also says Not Verified and I don’t know what that means.

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mark3d4death t1_ivl5754 wrote

Lancaster County here. Just checked and thankfully mine was received.

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tnred19 t1_ivlh0p7 wrote

What does it mean if it says "online mail in not verified" but then days vote recorded?

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tnred19 t1_ivlh1w1 wrote

What does it mean if it says "online mail in not verified" but then days vote recorded?

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michael1757 t1_ivmyk8a wrote

They may have it,but haven't scanned it yet.

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LetoCarrion t1_ivkbyqc wrote

Go to the polls

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discogeek t1_ivkn9ka wrote

Reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point here.

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Reynard1981 t1_ivkqeg6 wrote

That would make for a fair election. Going to the polls wouldn’t allow the dems to stuff ballots over night.

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mandar35 t1_ivlhqul wrote

You think it’s fair this person can’t vote cause they are in the hospital?

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gvillemini t1_ivjzd8z wrote

Mail in voting has implications, unfortunately.

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Odd_Description_2295 t1_ivk144s wrote

That is not acceptable.

This person is in the hospital. They are the reason for mail in/ absentee ballots.

Absentee ballots have long been an option for years, and is nothing new.

Its absolute bullshit that absentee ballots are now suddenly "an issue"

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gvillemini t1_ivk7lzi wrote

Don't shoot the messenger. We've all witnessed how mail in voting is attacked/leveraged/manupulated and/or called out as fraudulent. It's exactly why the fetterman campaign filed a lawsuit yesterday to protect mail in voting. It does have implications, just look at how the gop has been in court for 2+ years claiming fraud and why the democrats are trying to protect it. It's in shambles, unfortunately. Best thing to do is vote in person to ensure its counted and doesn't get tossed by the fraudsters. Doesn't help this individual in this case, but it is where we are at this point in time with our election processes and crazy politicians.

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PolyDipsoManiac t1_ivkonck wrote

My ballot has always been received on time. You must live in some shitty little county that can’t handle it.

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theyeoftheiris t1_ivk44fe wrote

Mail in voting has existed since the Civil War. Whole ass states have ONLY mail in voting. Stop spreading this nonsense that you're spouting.

I myself voted many times in PA via absentee ballot.

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gvillemini t1_ivka4be wrote

What nonsense? We've been battling mail in voting issues for years now. I've also voted via mail in, but won't be any time soon until I'm confident in the process and assured there are no issues such as OPs. I think you misunderstood my comment. To be fair, it was a one liner.

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