Mailing Systems Technology - November/December 2008 - (Page 19) opportunity to become permanent mail ballot voters. Had these addresses not been updated, potential voters may have not been able to exercise the franchise. No VBM program can succeed without the help and support of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The USPS is a willing and valuable partner to the VBM program. As the number of voters casting ballots by mail has increased throughout the country, the USPS has developed programs and processes to accommodate the mailing of these election materials. The USPS has determined ballots can be mailed at non-profit rates, which makes the mailing of ballots financially attractive to election officials. Other enhancements included a special election logo to heighten visibility, special tags that identified political mail and the use of express mail to APO and FPO gateways in order to expedite the delivery of balloting material to military voters stationed abroad. The National Postal Forum has also added workshops on the mailing of election materials to educate election officials on the value of voting by mail. In San Diego, local postal officials share the Postal Service mission in encouraging voters to vote by mail. They have pledged their complete support and are very responsive when called upon. The Registrar of Voters has long recognized its contribution to the success of the past elections and knows the future success of the VBM program will require continued support and commitment by the USPS. Prior to each election cycle, teams from the Registrar of Voters and the USPS engage in a joint planning meeting that addresses all aspects of the ballot mailing process. As ballots are being drop shipped into the San Diego Sectional Center Facility, internal operations and delivery stations are notified that balloting materials are being entered into the system. This preplanning helps expedite the delivery of the ballots to the voter. The USPS is also there to help once ballots have been entered into the system. Should a delivery problem arise, they are quick to investigate and provide solutions. The relationship between the Registrar of Voters and the USPS is most certainly a partnership and one both agencies take pride in. There is one other segment of the population that relies heavily on the VBM pro- gram, our military voters. San Diego has a large military contingent, and the Registrar of Voters works closely with military voting officers and the USPS to ensure balloting materials are in the hands of military and overseas voters as soon as possible. Ballots are sent via Express Mail to APO and FPO gateways in three locations. The military then takes responsibility to deliver ballots to the deployed. Military voters return their ballots using specially marked business reply envelopes addressed to the Registrar of Voters. Bob Wilson, CMDSM, joined the County of San Diego’s Mail Services unit in 1980 and was named Mail Services Manager in 2002. Bob and his team serve over 18,000 employees in 50 client departments processing more than 10 million pieces of outgoing mail annually. He currently serves on the board of both the San Diego District Postal Customer Council and the Mail Systems Management Associations San Diego Chapter. a WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 19 http://www.MailingSystemsTechnology.com
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