Butler County Elections Director Says Postal Service Lost Unknown Number Of Mail-In Ballots
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Butler County Bureau of Elections director says an unknown number of mail-in ballots were lost by the postal service.
"At first we thought that maybe it just was a delay in the postal system," Leslie Osche, chair of the Butler County commissioners, told KDKA. "And that could still be the case. But nonetheless, when we realized that, we changed our strategy and now have begun to tell folks that if they haven't received a ballot, they still have multiple options."
Many people who applied for ballots have told KDKA that they have not arrived. Federal postal investigators are now looking into what happened.
In the meantime, the Butler County Bureau of Elections director is urging those voters to go to the Bureau of Elections or fill out a provisional ballot at their polling place on Election Day.
RELATED STORY: Butler County Elections Bureau: Department Of State Checking With USPS About Reported Mail Delays
As of Tuesday, Pennsylvania voters are no longer able to apply for an absentee or mail-in ballot.
The United States Postal Service released a statement on Wednesday, saying, in part:
"Regarding mail sorting and delivery in Butler County, the Postal Service is unaware of any significant delays or issues and is in regular contact with the Board of Election as we work to locate and deliver ballots as they are presented to us."