HELENA, Mont. — During an election period in Cascade County, Montana, election administrator Terry Thompson was surprised to find her office receiving completed ballots from far-off locations such as Wasilla, Alaska; Vancouver, Washington; and Tampa, Florida. Although the number of misaddressed ballots was relatively small, around a dozen, it raised significant concerns regarding the efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service in handling election mail and whether these ballots would ultimately be counted.
Thompson remarked on the challenges posed by the situation, humorously noting that she might as well have used FedEx to ensure the ballots reached their correct locations. Besides the ballots from other states, her office also received several that were meant for other counties within Montana. For those improperly sent ballots, Thompson expressed her hope that they would be returned in a timely manner.
While it’s not uncommon for ballots to occasionally end up in the wrong hands during elections, the unusual number of ballots arriving at Thompson’s office from external states raised alarms. The pattern was echoed by election offices in areas such as California, Louisiana, and New Mexico, which similarly reported receiving ballots meant for other states.
The Postal Service explained that without specific tracking details from ballot envelopes, they are unable to address these issues in detail. They added that they are collaborating with local election officials to tackle these concerns. Yet, the misdirected ballots have confirmed the worries voiced by election officials ahead of the presidential election on November 5 regarding the Postal Service’s capability to manage the rising volume of mail-in ballots.
In September, state election officials warned that inefficiencies in the mail delivery system posed risks for voter disenfranchisement during the elections. They wrote to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, highlighting problems faced during the primaries, including ballots that, while postmarked on time, arrived too late to be counted. Instances emerged where correctly addressed election mail was returned as undeliverable.
In Louisiana, election officials reported that around 40 to 50 ballots intended for ten other states were misdelivered to various local election offices, primarily focusing on Orleans Parish. Deputy Secretary of State Joel Watson Jr. expressed frustration over the inconsistencies from the Postal Service and emphasized the impact on local election operations.
Watson noted that some ballots from within Louisiana were also misdirected, necessitating that staff physically transport them to other parishes to meet deadlines. He commented on the strain placed on resources and time leading up to the crucial election.
According to Louisiana law, drop boxes for ballots are not allowed, and Watson expressed his office’s reluctance to shift toward using them, citing security risks such as previous incidents of arson in Washington and Oregon.
The Postal Service stated that they prioritize election mail processing and perform daily checks to assess its status. They recommended using individual bar codes on ballot envelopes for more effective tracking.
Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, noted that while some postal facility issues were reported during the election, they were subsequently resolved. He suggested that the evidence points towards the success of vote-by-mail systems in the recent election.
However, misinformation and misdirected ballots remained a challenge. For instance, Santa Fe County in New Mexico encountered issues, with County Clerk Katharine Clark stating that seven ballots meant for her office ended up in Los Angeles County. Although those ballots were redirected, they failed to arrive in time for voting counts.
Clark also indicated her office received two ballots intended for Los Angeles County and another for Maricopa County in Arizona, which she returned to the Postal Service. Misdelivered ballots were a concern at various levels; Los Angeles election officials reported receiving ballots meant for Torrance County, New Mexico.
The California Secretary of State’s office noted that about 150 mail ballots from Oregon were sent to California before being redirected. Similarly, a ballot meant for Massachusetts was misplaced in Springfield, Illinois.
Amy Cohen, executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors, called the misdelivered ballots “disappointing and heartbreaking.” She explained that though election officials strive to avoid such errors, they can occur for several reasons, some of which may not be attributed to the Postal Service.
Cohen reiterated the ongoing concerns voiced by election officials over mail delivery issues, urging the Postal Service to identify solutions to prevent similar problems in future elections.
In Kansas, Secretary of State Scott Schwab described his frustrations stemming from numerous late-arriving mail ballots after the August primary, even humorously comparing it to the Pony Express’s efficiency. He has adopted a more favorable stance towards the use of drop boxes compared to some other Republicans, encouraging voters to seek alternatives to the USPS for mail-in voting when possible.
