Broward elections chief urges voters to hand-deliver mail ballots amid reports of postal delays
Amid spotty showers Tuesday, Frances G. arrived at the Broward County Elections Office in Fort Lauderdale to drop off her mail-in ballot by hand.
When asked why she bypassed the post office, her response was direct: "I don't trust it".
Her concerns reflect broader issues across the county. Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott reported receiving multiple complaints from voters regarding slow mail delivery for mail-in ballots. Scott expressed concern over delays in the delivery of ballots from his office and in their return—or, in some cases, their failure to arrive.
"My son in Orlando took 12 days," Scott said, noting that an assistant state attorney similarly reported waiting weeks for a ballot to arrive.
The U.S. Postal Service stated that it is looking into the matter.
The delivery issues in Broward contrast with those in neighboring Miami-Dade County, where election officials reported no mail delivery problems. Out of 250,000 ballots mailed out in Miami-Dade, approximately 120,000 have already been returned.
Despite the smoother operations reported in Miami-Dade, Scott advised Broward County voters not to take chances with the postal system.
"Take it in person, because there is a chance it won't reach us," Scott warned.