Secretary of State Reminds Candidates of Election Deadlines

Deadlines matter, and relying solely on the U. S. Postal Service for timely postmarking can lead to serious consequences, according to Secretary of State Kris Warner.
“While USPS plays an important role in our election process, it has publicly announced longer processing times and potential delays, which may affect filings with strict due dates,” Warner said.
In advisory messages recently sent to chief election officials, the USPS indicated that its delivery schedules are estimates, not guarantees.
Weather conditions, staffing shortages and seasonal surges can cause unexpected delays.
Warner said that those delays raise concerns with the timeliness of election-related documents for the May 12 primary election. 
“Even if a document is mailed on time, USPS warns that it may not be postmarked until the following day,” he said.
“This could result in missed deadlines for tax filings, candidate certificates of announcement, voter registrations, absentee ballots, and business renewals. Missing these deadlines often leads to disqualifications, late fees, penalties or legal issues.
“Postmarking is not always immediate or done on the same day the mail is dropped off,” said Warner.
“Mail dropped late in the day or in rural areas may not be processed until the next business cycle. Mail dropped off on a Friday may not be postmarked until Monday.”
According to recent USPS guidance, standard First-Class Mail does not offer a guaranteed postmark date.
Secretary Warner encourages citizens to mail early and not wait until the last minute.
“A candidate who waits until the last minute to mail a certificate of announcement may cause the candidate to miss the postmark deadline and be precluded from running for office,” Warner said.
“The same is true for a voter waiting until the last minute to mail a voter registration application or absentee ballot back to their county clerk. Without the proper postmark, the documents cannot be accepted or counted.”
Secretary Warner advised that candidates wishing to file for office near the end of the filing period should either hand-deliver the Certificate of Announcement to the appropriate filing office, or hand-deliver the certificate to the local post office and specifically request a postal worker to “hand-cancel” the mailing with a postmark.
The candidate filing period runs through 31.
Warner said that his office at the State Capitol, as well as the regional offices in Clarksburg and Martinsburg, will remain open until midnight on Jan. 31.