Portions of a U.S. Postal Service postcard sent to the public regarding vote-by-mail options are “inconsistent” with state guidelines, the Maryland State Board of Elections said Monday.
The board released a statement saying state election officials first learned of the postcard Friday, after it had been mailed.
The board said voters should not wait until 15 days before Election Day, Nov. 3, to request a mail-in ballot. A voter’s request for a mail-in ballot in Maryland must be received by their local board of elections no later than October 20, the board said.
“If you request a ballot by mail, plan to mail your ballot application by October 15 to ensure that it will be delivered by October 20. There is no need to wait. Submit your application for a mail-in ballot at your earliest convenience,” the board said.
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Maryland election officials also noted that no postage is required to return a ballot that a voter received by mail. The board also said residents can choose to take a voted ballot to a ballot drop box in the county where they live. There will be about 270 ballot drop off boxes throughout the state.
In Colorado, the secretary of state filed a lawsuit Saturday against the Postal Service to stop delivery of the flyers, which are being distributed nationally, to Colorado voters, because the state said they contain confusing information about the state's mail-in voting system. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order late Saturday stopping the mailings. The Postal Service asked the judge Sunday to reconsider the order.
Worries about the coronavirus pandemic are likely to induce millions of U.S. voters to vote by mail for the first time.
