Poll Tax?

Don

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So I voted today, by absentee ballot. Enclosed in the ballot paperwork was a big pink slip of paper stamped with this notice:

POSTAGE REQUIRED FOR RETURN: $1.30.

On the front of the envelope, where I've always seen "Postage Paid," etc. now appears "The Post Office will not deliver this without additional postage attached."

W.T.F?
 

alleycat

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I don't think there is anything wrong with having the person voting pay the postage to send their ballot in, as long as there is also an option to drop it off at the election office. When I renew my car tags by mail I have to pay the postage and also have to pay the County Clerk's postage to send the sticker back (they charge $2.00 to stick it in an envelope and mail it).

I am wondering why they couldn't make it so it can be mailed in a normal business envelope (perhaps because of the length or thickness of the paper used, I would guess; but it seems like with a little effort they could make one that would work).
 

Gale Haut

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FVAP provides the following information:

When mailed from any U.S. post office, U.S. embassy or consulate, or APO/FPO mail facility, the hardcopy voter registration/absentee ballot form is postage-paid. In order to receive free postage, the online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope printed with our postage-paid envelope template. You may mail the completed form in an envelope with proper postage affixed. Ensure that your form is postmarked (see postmarking instructions below) and sent to arrive before your State's specific deadline. You must pay postage if the materials are mailed from a non-U.S. postal facility.
 

robeiae

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So I voted today, by absentee ballot. Enclosed in the ballot paperwork was a big pink slip of paper stamped with this notice:

POSTAGE REQUIRED FOR RETURN: $1.30.

On the front of the envelope, where I've always seen "Postage Paid," etc. now appears "The Post Office will not deliver this without additional postage attached."

W.T.F?
Vote in person on Election Day, commie. Like a real American.
 

Don

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FVAP provides the following information:
When mailed from any U.S. post office, U.S. embassy or consulate, or APO/FPO mail facility, the hardcopy voter registration/absentee ballot form is postage-paid. In order to receive free postage, the online version of the form must be mailed in an envelope printed with our postage-paid envelope template. You may mail the completed form in an envelope with proper postage affixed. Ensure that your form is postmarked (see postmarking instructions below) and sent to arrive before your State's specific deadline. You must pay postage if the materials are mailed from a non-U.S. postal facility.
I had the hardcopy version, and both the instructions and the return envelope noted it would not be delivered without additional postage. It will definitely be mailed from a U.S. postal facility. Apparently someone in the state of Florida has not read FVAP FAQ.
 

Vince524

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Dammit, I knew I missed something on those fake absentee ballots I sent out. It's getting harder and harder to suppress a vote these days!
 

Melanie Dawn

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eh, i didn't think twice about tossing two first class forever stamps on my ballot and getting it out. Vote tax or not, it's vitally important to vote.
 

Don

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Interesting. My AZ mail-in ballot was forwarded to me with the return envelope postage-paid, and said so very clearly on the front.
To be fair, that's been the case for Florida, at least since 2007 when I went on the road. This is the first time I've been required to pay any postage.

I didn't faint, Richard. I figured you'd see the principle behind the relatively innocuous act.
 

Chrissy

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Vote in person on Election Day, commie. Like a real American.
I've got family and friends who mistrust the absentee ballot.

So depressing. So sad. :(
 

PorterStarrByrd

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I'm getting where I mistrust ANY ballott counted by ANYONE ANYWHERE (Especially Minnesota) and only slightly more mistrusting of what will replace it one of these days. :)
 

Vaulted

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POSTAGE REQUIRED FOR RETURN: $1.30.

What kind of envelope is this? Seems a lot to pay to mail a standard business envelope (50c down here).
 

Don

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What kind of envelope is this? Seems a lot to pay to mail a standard business envelope (50c down here).
Oh, it's definitely over-sized and has two pages of very-thick, almost cardboard forms in it. It came in an even more over-sized envelope with a few other bits of paper explaining this and that, including the pink postage announcement, printed on its own sheet of paper as well. Just the return package weighed 50 grams. It's almost as if whoever designed it didn't have to concern themselves with printing or distribution costs at all. :rolleyes:
 

muravyets

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Personally, I think absentee ballots in all states should come with a postage pre-paid envelope, but this is what we get for not having a national standard for how elections are run.

In any event, considering that states attempting to impose voter suppression laws (and possibly succeeding) will end up charging voters a shit-ton more to exercise their civic right and duty, I'm having a hard time worrying about the cost of a couple of postage stamps. (Massachusetts also requires the long distance voter to put a stamp on the envelope.)

My suggestion would be this: Let's all vote for people who (a) actually believe in democracy and (b) actually believe the US is one nation, indivisible, and then when they take over Congress, make them pass legislation to standardize, streamline and eliminate pay-to-play costs in our elections.
 

calieber

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eh, i didn't think twice about tossing two first class forever stamps on my ballot and getting it out. Vote tax or not, it's vitally important to vote.

True as far as it goes, but as a basic principle of democracy it shouldn't be something one has to directly pay for. Precisely because it is so important.
 

Melanie Dawn

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True as far as it goes, but as a basic principle of democracy it shouldn't be something one has to directly pay for. Precisely because it is so important.

i get what you're saying, but this and payments to my therapist are the only time i mail anything, i have had a book of FCF stamps sitting under my monitor for almost a year... so ya. Not a huge expense.
 

juniper

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Vote in person on Election Day, commie. Like a real American.

In Oregon we don't have election day voting places. It's all mail-in or drop-off ballots. I always drop ours off at the library.

I just looked inside my envelope to check the mail-back envelope: postage required, but it doesn't say how much. So I guess I could take it to the post office to weigh, or just stick a bunch of stamps on it and hope it makes it.

I usually miss the mail-in cut off date, so I slide ours into the Official Plastic Ballot Box at the library front desk.

I kinda miss going to the polls, as I have in other states. I liked seeing the people lined up to vote.
 

Diana Hignutt

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eh, i didn't think twice about tossing two first class forever stamps on my ballot and getting it out. Vote tax or not, it's vitally important to vote.

Is it? To vote in a broken, corrupt system is to endorse it's evil; to condone and consent the destruction of our republic and the further establisment of plutocratic corpotyranny in its place.

I voted for Obama last time. Then he decided to throw out the Constitution and become judge, jury, and executioner without oversight, by executive decree. People died. Some innocent. I helped kill them by voting for Obama. Not again.