Utah, Nevada officials: USPS sent voters wrong information about mail-in voting

Election officials in Utah and Nevada are warning voters about U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mailers with information on mail-in voting that does not pertain to voters in their states.

Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R) told the Salt Lake Tribune in a statement that since all registered voters in the state automatically receive mail-in ballots, there is no need to “to request your mail-in ballot … at least 15 days before Election Day,” as the mailers say. 

“All active registered voters in Utah automatically receive their ballots in the mail. Individuals do not need to request a mail-in ballot separately if they have previously registered to vote,” said Cox, who directs elections in Utah. 

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske (R) also responded to the mailers in her state, where registered voters also automatically receive mail-in ballots. 

“Voters who wish to vote by mail do not need to request a mail-in or absentee ballot this year,” Cegavske said in a statement. “Additionally, all ballot return envelopes are postage prepaid, meaning voters do not need to add any postage to their ballot return envelope in order to vote by mail.”

Elections officials in Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia have spoken out about the mailers as well. 

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D), who also runs an election system where all voters receive mail-in ballots, sued the post office on Saturday because of the mailers. 

A temporary restraining order was granted by a federal judge Monday, though the USPS has previously said that most of the mailers were already sent out. 

The Postal Service told The Hill in a statement Sunday that it will review the court’s decision “to determine the appropriate next steps,” adding that the court “acted prematurely” by issuing the order without a hearing or giving the Postal Service a chance to respond.