GREENSBORO, N.C. — People protested outside the home of the U.S. Post Master General's home Sunday, which is right here in Greensboro. Critics argue recent operational changes made by Louis Dejoy are slowing down mail delivery including no overtime for employees, and if there is mail to be delivered, but the workday is over, your mailman goes back to the office and your mail sits and waits until tomorrow.
The changes make for slower delivery time and that is raising concern as more people are expected to mail in votes this November.
“I am in conversations with a number of Attorneys General who share my concern with the essentialness of the postal service,” explained NC Attorney General Josh Stein. “It is a lifeline for rural North Carolina, it is critical for small businesses it's how veterans get their medicine. In a pandemic, it's a way for our voice to be heard in our democracy through their vote”.
Stein says they are reviewing options of what should be legally done. He says the state got a letter from the postal service saying that they were concerned they would be unable to meet state statutory deadlines and get ballots delivered on time.
“That's unacceptable, that's why I'm exploring legal actions,” said Stein.
While all this is being discussed, the message the AG wants you to hear loud and clear is this: your vote counts and make your plan of how you'll do it.
“There are three ways to vote in North Carolina, on election day, early voting including 2 different weekends or vote by mail and we are the first state to send those ballots out starting on September fourth,” said Stein.
North Carolina will be the first state to mail out absentee ballots. The mailings begin on September 4. To get your ballot, you first have to fill out a request form.
Still not sure about it? Then get an absentee ballot yourself. It's a simple three-step process:
1. Request the ballot --online, by mail, by phone or in-person
2. Vote
3. Return the ballot -- by mail or you can hand deliver it either during early voting to the polls or the elections office or on election day only at the elections office
Requesting the Ballot form could take some time depending on the process you choose.