ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - This election year, changes at United States Postal Service could cause absentee ballots to take longer to delivery compared to previous elections.
USPS consolidated the Rutherford Avenue Processing Center in Roanoke last year, causing mail leaving Roanoke to be routed to the Greensboro Processing Center.
Since then, some people have seen their mail take longer to be delivered. State election officials also remind voters that USPS delivery standards changed last year. First class delivery went from 1-3 days to 2-5 days and standard delivery is now 2-9 days. Election officials said it's important for absentee voters to take the changes into consideration.
"With the center in Greensboro now, it takes longer for us to mail a ballot out to get to the voter, for the voter to vote in it and mail it back to us" said Roanoke County General Registrar Judy Stokes. "It takes longer than it did two or three years ago."
It's important to note that mail-in ballots are required to be received by election offices by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
For more information: http://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/index.html