Some Tampa Bay counties require vote-by-mail postage

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Early voting is underway this week, and supervisors of elections also expect an increase in the return of vote-by-mail ballots.

In Tampa Bay, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Citrus counties offer pre-paid postage when returning vote-by-mail ballots through USPS.

Other counties require postage, which mostly involves two forever stamps when returning the ballot through USPS. Those counties include Sarasota, Manatee, Pasco, Hardee, Highlands, and Hernando.

One Manatee County voter was surprised by the postage requirement, but David Ballard with the county’s Supervisor of Elections Office said that even if the ballot doesn’t have the required postage, it will not be returned to the voter’s address.

“Residents can be confident that their ballots will be returned to the Elections office, even if they don’t put the appropriate postage on it, it is considered specialty mail and it is always returned to our office,” Ballard said.

Lecia A Hall with USPS sent the following statement:

The U.S. Postal Service is committed to the secure, timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. In 2024, just as we have in previous elections, the Postal Service is collecting, processing, transporting, and delivering the nation’s Election Mail when public policymakers choose to utilize the mail as a part of their election system or when voters choose to use our services to participate in an election. We are employing robust and proven processes to ensure proper handling and delivery of all Election Mail, including ballots.

The Postal Service is in close communication with Manatee County election officials and is not aware of any concerns or issues with Election Mail, including ballots, in the Tampa Bay area.

Regarding postage on ballots, each state or local Board of Elections if authorized, determines whether to provide voters with a pre-paid return envelope for mail-in ballots or request that voters apply their own appropriate postage. The Postal Service requires election officials to inform voters of the amount of postage required, if applicable.

If a return ballot is nevertheless entered into the mailstream with insufficient or unpaid postage, it is the Postal Service’s policy not to delay the delivery of completed absentee balloting materials, including mail-in ballots. In cases where a ballot enters the mailstream without the proper amount of postage, the Postal Service will deliver the ballot and thereafter attempt to collect postage from the appropriate Board of Elections.

As reminder, the Postal Service continues to recommend as a common-sense measure that domestic voters should mail their completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week prior to the deadline by which their completed ballot must be received by their local election official.

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