By Sally Williams, Michigan Director of Elections, Chair of the EAC Standards Board United States Postal Service (USPS) Committee
Voting by mail is becoming more prominent as more voters cast their ballot before Election Day. Recent data shows that as many as two in five ballots cast in federal elections are the result of absentee, mail or early voting.
As the 2018 election cycle shifts into gear, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the EAC Standards Board United States Postal Service (USPS) committee have worked to provide 2018 Election Cycle Preparation Tips for State and Local Election Officials. The EAC’s Vote-By-Mail webpage has been updated to ensure election officials have key information at their fingertips to assist them in preparing ballot mailings and processing these ballots.
The updates are based on discussions from the Standards Board USPS committee, which is comprised of several state and local election officials from around the country, about current election-related USPS issues. Resources available include information on:
- Intelligent Mail Barcodes
- Making your ballots stand out
- Managing Expectations
- Working with USPS Mail Design Specialists
- Reporting and resolving problems with USPS officials
- Implementing Solutions
The webpage and the 2018 Election Cycle Preparation Tips for State and Local Election Officials provide resources to help election officials identify procedures, strategies and policies for ensuring mail ballots get cast and counted and that all election-related materials are delivered in an efficient and timely manner.
Take steps now to prepare for vote-by-mail ballots and please contact Sean Greene at [email protected] if you have additional resources to share.