Rick Vermeers explains that drop boxes are a much less expensive, more reliable, and more secure method of returning ballots than the USPS
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, there was no delivery of ballots to the Caples Post Office for the Presidential Primary in Clark County. This is a normal occurrence because all mail from Clark County goes to Portland for sorting prior to returning to Clark County Elections. Friday and Saturday mail may be delivered on Monday, but mail deposited on Monday will likely be delivered on Wednesday.
However, the Wednesday mail also was not delivered to the Caples Post Office for the normal 7:15 a.m. transport to Elections. Instead, it was delivered to the Downtown Vancouver Post office at a later time. The processing of those 7,000 ballots was delayed for most of the morning. Machine sorting, which would normally start at around 7:30 a.m., was delayed until after 11 a.m. The Drop Box pickup crews arrived at the Elections Office at about the same time with approximately 7,000 more ballots, leaving over 14,000 ballots to process in a half day. The result was left over ballots at the end of the work day.
If that wasn’t enough, the same mistake was repeated by the USPS on Thursday, Feb. 29 with over 10,000 more ballots. The snowball effect continued when the Friday delivery was late as well.
The conclusion is that the USPS is not focussed on Vote By Mail and perhaps should not be. According to Elections Officials, Clark County residents paid 75 cents each to have those ballots delivered late by the USPS for a total of approximately $18,000 through Thursday alone. Drop boxes are a much less expensive, more reliable, and more secure method of returning ballots than the USPS. No one except election workers will see your ballot once deposited and you’ll be saving tax dollars.
Voters need to know that mailing their ballots isn’t free, is unreliable and less secure.
Rick Vermeers
Clark County Certified Election Observer
Also read:
- Opinion: Washington state paid $8.6 million a year in unnecessary Medicaid premiums
Washington state’s Medicaid program wastes $8.6M annually on duplicate premiums; reforms are needed. - Opinion: Extending the Yellow MAX Line to Vancouver Is TriMet’s worst idea yet
John A. Charles Jr. critiques the Yellow MAX Line extension, urging legislators to remove light rail from the project. - Opinion: Courts blocking the Kroger-Albertson merger won’t stop consumers from making choicesPaul Guppy of Washington Policy Center critiques judicial rulings that block the Kroger-Albertsons merger, citing changing consumer trends and potential job losses.
- Opinion: Workers need money — and the many other gifts work can bringElizabeth New Hovde discusses the value of work, its benefits for workers and employers, and its impact on personal growth.
- How Should Washington Taxpayers Handle TriMet’s Proposed Light Rail Costs? Share Your Thoughts!C-TRAN Board reviews TriMet’s proposal for Washington taxpayers to fund 45% of light rail operating costs, sparking local debate.
wpDiscuz
