Absentee Ballots Begin to Roll Out in Georgia Amid Mail Concerns
ATLANTA — Excitement and concern are stirring in the Peach State as absentee ballots start making their way to Georgia voters, especially those in the military or living overseas. With the general election set for November 5, it’s an everything-matters moment for election officials and voters alike.
Julie Rice, a Georgia resident, expressed her frustrations over postal delays that have become almost routine in the past six months. “It’s very, very frustrating,” she shared. “You end up just going in a big circle, and I’m tired of the circles.” Like many, Rice’s family is anxious about their mail’s reliability because her son, who is in college, plans to vote absentee. “I hope that he actually gets the ballot first of all,” she said. “And second of all, that it gets where it needs to be and gets counted.”
Rice’s concerns are hardly unique. A group of Republican lawmakers from Georgia addressed similar worries in a September 18 letter to the Postmaster General. They urged the USPS to provide more specific assurances that absentee ballots would be processed on time, stating, “Over the last year, many of our constituents have lost faith in mail delivery by USPS in Georgia due to delays caused by the implementation of the United States Postal Service Delivering for America (DFA) Plan.”
As absentee ballot applications continue to pour in, election supervisors like Zach Manifold, from Gwinnett County, keep a watchful eye on procedures. Reflecting on past elections, Manifold noted the staggering delays during the March presidential preference primary. “We definitely had some serious delays. We saw hundreds of ballots come back late and after election day,” he recounted. The situation improved by May, potentially due to a notable change where if the mail was local, it didn’t need to travel to Palmetto and back. However, Manifold admits that reliability remains a question mark. “It’s still hit or miss,” he said. “We don’t feel really great about it, so we’re still telling people to be as early as possible.”
Echoing this advice, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office has been urging voters to send their ballots early. While the agency hasn’t disclosed specific steps it’ll take to monitor possible mail delays, the message remains clear: **vote early** if you’re using mail-in ballots.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has also been attempting to reassure state election officials nationwide. In a letter dated September 13, he emphasized the agency’s commitment to timely and secure ballot delivery. “You can rest assured that along with the entire United States Postal Service, I am personally fully committed to effective implementation of our longstanding processes and procedures designed to ensure that all ballot mail is delivered in a timely and secure manner,” wrote DeJoy. He further addressed concerns in a media briefing, hinting at efforts to advance election mail ahead of other mail processing and deploying special ballot monitors starting October 1.
Despite these assurances, Rice and many others remain skeptical. “USPS First Class mail performance in Georgia has notably improved since the launch of the Palmetto facility tanked delivery times in March, but the latest data shows service still has not returned to previous levels.” The Postmaster General has urged voters to mail their ballots at least a week before the deadline to avoid potential delays.
With everyone keeping an eagle eye on postal services, the countdown to November 5th continues. Voters, election officials, and postal workers all play essential roles. The critical takeaway: when it comes to voting by mail, earlier is undeniably better.
