Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee presses CEE on certified mail requirement, USPS coordination and plebiscite deadlines
Loading...
Summary
Lawmakers asked the commission whether the plebiscite allows regular mail for plebiscite ballots while general-election absentee ballots require certified mail; the CEE said the plebiscite uses regular mail but general-election absentee mailings are by certified mail and that CEE has sought a meeting with the U.S. Postal Service to discuss postmark (matasello) handling.
SAN JUAN — Representatives pressed the Commission Estatal de Elecciones on July 18 about whether early/absentee ballots for the plebiscite must be sent by certified mail and how the postal servicewould handle large volumes.
A commission memberrecently proposed mailing advance ballots via regular mail to save costs; committee members said the proposal produced disagreement among commissioners. Padilla told the committee that, under the current code and the specific wording for the plebiscite, the plebiscite mailing may be by regular mail while absentee ballots for general-election votes require certified mail under the regulation.
The committee discussed the operational importance of postmarks (matasellos) as evidence for timely receipt and noted the U.S. Postal Service is not strictly required to apply a postmark; Padilla said the CEE requested a meeting with USPS representatives in Puerto Rico so commissioners and postal officials can discuss handling and any possible preferential treatment for election mail.
The hearing also highlighted the statutory calendar: Lei 165 (2020) and the Código Electoral (article 9.38) were cited for timing obligations. Padilla said the 15-day deadline for submitting the plebiscite's draft ballot, voting regulation and education plan expires July 19; the CEE said it is preparing the four required deliverables.
Committee members asked the CEE to clarify the handling of envelopes that arrived without a postmark during the primaries and to pursue a USPS meeting to mitigate risks to timely adjudication of absentee ballots.
