Two absentee ballots that were mailed from the Stroud Post Office and later returned to those voters as undeliverable was caused by a problem with the automation at another Post Office, Lincoln County Election Board Melissa Stambaugh said last week.
“We’ve mailed out more than 1,100 absentee ballots and those were the only two that have been returned as undeliverable,” Stambaugh emphasized late last week.
She also pointed out, “That due to legislation passed earlier this year, those ballots can be cast in person at the Election Board they will still be counted.”
Stambaugh stressed that the Election Board already has received nearly 300 absentee ballots that have been cast by voters.
She noted that, “We are receiving requests daily from those who want to vote absentee and can take those requests up through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.” People who want to register to vote must
People who want to register to vote must do so by 5 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 9, she said.
Stambaugh explained that when the voters mailed the absentee ballots at the Stroud Post Office, that they were sent to the Tulsa Post Office and then onto the Oklahoma City postal plant and that’s where “they were kicked back,” she said.
They were sent back to the voters as undeliverable.
“The problem happened in the Oklahoma City postal plant. It was in the internal working of the Oklahoma City plant. It wasn’t the Stroud Post Office’s fault,” she emphasized.
Stambaugh reiterated it was in the automation at the Oklahoma City Post Office where the problem occurred.
She also said that no investigation is underway by her office concerning any other ballots that people have mailed.
Stambaugh pointed out, “I myself am not worried about the Post Office throughout Oklahoma. I am very confident in our Post Office and our Postal system.”
“They’re doing their best to get the ballots to where they need to be and none of this is intentional on their part,” she continued.