Postage instructions (in O.C., CA) with mail-in ballots conflicting

[question everything]

An attempt by the Orange County registrar of voters to save money has confused some voters in an ongoing college board election because the envelopes for mailing back the completed ballots instruct voters to both "place stamp here" and that "no postage (is) necessary."

(snip)

Because the election is strictly by mail, the registrar sent out 475,000 ballots with return envelopes, county spokesman Brett Rowley said Friday.

The return envelopes were printed "Business Reply Mail" with the registrar's address and had "No postage necessary if mailed in the United States" in the upper right corner.

But that was printed over a previous mark, which showed a box that instructed voters to "Place stamp here." Both instructions were visible on examples given to the Register.

(snip)


http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=87571§ion=LOCAL&subsection=LOCAL&year=2004&month=3&day=27

[Journeyman]

1. Let's be completely up front. . .

Rowley said his office decided to reuse existing envelopes to save the district money. The post office has been delivering envelopes with and without stamps, he said.


Since the intent was to save voters money (the BRM for postage paid was imprinted over the instruction to attach postage), I'd say this was a misguided effort to save money in a relatively inconsequential election (a community college board of directors). With luck, lessons were learned. . .