Santa Ana, CA May 8 , 2009 – The Orange County Registrar of Voters would like to remind vote-by-mail voters to apply the proper postage to their vote-by-mail ballots prior to mailing them. On May 11, 2009 the postage rate for First-Class mail will be raised 2-cents to 44-cents.

If voters return these ballots prior to May 11, 2009, the day of the increase, ballots will only require 42-cents (all ballots for the May 19th election are under one ounce). After May 11th it will cost 44-cents to return a vote-by-mail ballot.

“We want to reiterate the importance of placing the proper postage on your vote-by-mail ballot when returning it,” said Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley. “It is the best way to ensure that it is returned to us in a timely manner,” he continued.

The U.S. Postal Service is required to forward all ballots to our office in a timely manner. State and Federal law requires that the Registrar of Voters must receive all ballots by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, May 19, 2009. Ballots received late will not be counted. Postmarks will not be taken into account to determine eligibility of the ballot.

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