‘We have never seen this happen’: Clerks point to post office for major delays in ballots
HOPKINS CO., Ky. (WFIE) - Some people from Hopkins County to Vanderburgh County are seeing a delay with getting their absentee ballots.
Clerk Keenan Cloern tells us there is a delay with the post office, and people are becoming frustrated.
She says in a typical year, ballots would be delivered within three days of requesting them. This year, some ballots were requested 16 days ago and still haven’t arrived.
The clerk says the State Board of Elections has filed a complaint.
Cloern says she‘s spoken with people from that office, as well at the Secretary of State’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, and the post office.
”I have been here as Election Director for 21 years,” Cloern said. “In 21 years we have never seen this happen. We started talking several days ago about where are these ballots, why haven’t they been returned? Well then the calls started coming in from the voters.”
Workers inside the Hopkins County Clerk’s Office tell us they’re receiving between 20 and 30 calls an hour from concerned voters, asking about their ballots.
Election officials across the tri-state believe the issues lies with the post office.
“They don’t process any mail in Evansville anymore,” said Vanderburgh County Clerk Marsha Barnhart. “All of our mail leaves here, goes to Louisville, Kentucky, gets processed and comes back here for distribution.”
Barnhart says through conversations with the post office, their lost ballots were found and are now back in Evansville. She says in the future, all Evansville ballots will stay in the city, and not be sent to Louisville for processing.
Hopkins County Clerk Keenan Cloern is hoping for a similar resolution, but is still waiting.
“I do think that they’re going to arrive, I don’t believe that the ballots are lost, I believe the ballots are located and in process of coming to your house,” Cloern said.
Through communication with the post office, Cloern says they’re planning to take “extraordinary measures” to get ballots delivered starting October 21st. That means ballots will take priority over any other mail, to ensure they’re delivered and returned in time for the election.
If you’ve requested a ballot through the mail and haven’t received it, you’re asked to call your local clerks office.
Our Liz DeSantis spoke with local officials with USPS about some of the delays the Tri-State is experiencing.
They say it is due to a recent change to a hub system that helps them process mail while cutting costs.
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