After primary election snafu, Glouco sample ballots to be tracked

Gloucester County Superintendent of Elections Stephanie Salvatore is still waiting for her sample ballot for the June primary election to land in her Mantua mailbox — or at least be returned to her official office.

"There's still a reward out for mine," she laughed Friday. "I don't think I'm ever going to see it."

Months after an apparent mailing issue with a local post office stifled delivery of the sample ballots, county officials are hoping for a more seamless process for the Nov. 3 general election — and they'll use bar code tracking this time around to make sure of it.

"I'm going to witness them go into Bellmawr," where the post office is located, Salvatore said.

The sample ballots will be brought to the office this week, possibly Tuesday, to ensure the delivery is not a repeat of that of the primary.

Many voters in the county — including residents in Woodbury, Mullica Hill, Mantua, and West Deptford — did not receive the ballots until after the June 2 election (or, in some cases, ever). Salvatore's office reported that the ballots were delivered to the post office May 22 — they are to be sent out seven to 10 days before the election — but where they went from there was never made clear, she said.

The U.S. Postal Service said it was prepared to handle this round of ballots without issue.

"The past mailing unfortunately was not totally accounted for due to an apparent misroute, but we are very confident this mailing that now includes bar codes, will be processed and delivered with the service the county expects to receive," Postal Service spokesman Ray Daiutolo Sr. said in an email. "Our employees are ready. We did remedy the past mailing with the county, and look forward to serving them now and in the future."

The bar code tracking on the almost 184,000 ballots — one for each registered voter in the county — will help better account for their whereabouts, Salvatore said. Officials estimate the additional measure will cost about $3,000 for each election (the county already spends about $68,000 per year mailing ballots for the primary and general elections). Salvatore said this election's extra costs will be covered by a reimbursement the county received from the Postal Service following the primary.

Residents should watch for the sample ballots in the days ahead of the election, Salvatore said.

"It notifies them (of) Election Day, what time the polls are open, where they go to vote" and who's running, she said. "It's very informative."