CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – With Election Day closing in, some voters still haven’t returned their by-mail and absentee ballots, and we’ve reached the point where there’s no guarantee putting it in a mailbox means it will arrive by Tuesday, Nov. 3.
To ensure the ballots arrive on time, the U. S. Postal Service has designated a post office in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties for completed absentee by-mail ballots, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office.
“The fastest way for anybody to return an absentee ballot to the Montgomery County Election Office is to go directly to the downtown Post Office,” said Elizabeth Black, Montgomery County elections administrator.
Absentee and by-mail voters should drop off their ballot as soon as possible, but before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the downtown post office, 306 Madison St.
“They’ll have to have postage on their absentee ballot, and if they take it inside and hand it to a clerk, the clerk can cancel that stamp and actually put that ballot directly in our PO Box, so it will never leave the facility” until it’s picked up by election officials.
The local Election Office will pick up the last set of ballots after 3 p.m. on Nov. 3.
“That’s what we’re recommending to folks just to make sure we receive them on time,” Black said. “And our partners at the Post Office have been fantastic about helping us get those.”
The Secretary of State’s Office reminded voters that the deadline to request a by-mail ballot has passed, and that Tennessee law does not allow third party political operatives to collect ballots.
Lee Erwin contributed to this report.