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Electoral Board requires postal certification for mailed ballots; reviews unpaid officer payments
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Summary
The Board voted to pay certificate-of-mailing fees for mailed ballots to verify postmark dates and reviewed paperwork for unpaid or underpaid officers of election; a $203 postage reimbursement request for the June primary was also reported.
The Charlotte County Electoral Board voted to require postal certification for all mailed ballots and reviewed outstanding payment paperwork for officers of election.
Secretary Glenwood Foster explained how certified mailing works and why the Board should pay the postal fee to create an official certification showing when mail-in ballots are handed to the U.S. Postal Service. Foster moved that “on all mail in ballots mailed out a certificate of mailing fee be paid for each ballot to verify when each ballot is mailed out for ALL elections.” Acting Chairman Glenn Baker seconded the motion; it passed without dissent.
The Registrar’s office also reported a $203 reimbursement request for postage paid for mail-in ballots for the June primary. In the financial report the Board noted one Officer of Election had not been paid for working early voting and another had been paid only a half day despite working all day; paperwork for payment and Dorothea Knott’s travel expense from the November election has been submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
Board members said certified mailing provides a verifiable record that can insulate the office from litigation if a voter later claims a mailed ballot was not returned or was not mailed on a certain date. The Board approved the certified-mailing requirement to document mailing dates for absentee ballots going forward.
The Board assigned follow-up tasks to process outstanding payment paperwork through the county and to post officer lists publicly in accordance with party deadlines.