Wisconsin absentee ballots still in Florida, couple says
Absentee ballots still in Florida, couple says
A Wisconsin couple told FOX6 News they mailed in their absentee ballots more than a week ago. As of election day, it's still in Florida.
MILWAUKEE - A Wisconsin couple told FOX6 News they mailed in their absentee ballots more than a week ago – but as of election day, it's still in Florida.
Absentee ballot delay
What they're saying:
Michael Peterka lives in Jackson but said he and his wife spend time in Florida in the winter. He said they wanted to vote in Wisconsin's spring election.
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"We are very concerned about the Supreme Court issue, and we're also concerned about our local Cedarburg School District representatives," said Peterka.
Michael Peterka
The couple said they signed and mailed their ballots from Florida more than a week ago. Peterka said they used USPS Priority Mail.
"It's been 10 days, and it's only gone 150 to 200 miles towards Wisconsin," said Peterka.
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The Peterkas said their ballots were supposed to arrive in Wisconsin last Friday, March 28. But according to the USPS tracker, as of April 1, their mail still has not left Florida.
"We went to the post office to inquire as to where they were, and they told us they have no way of finding out," said Peterka.
What does it mean?
Dig deeper:
Washington County Clerk Ashley Reichert said, while these cases are not common, they do pop up every once in a while.
"If the ballot does not get received by the municipal clerk, his vote will not count," she said.
"It's just difficult when you have a ballot sent out from out of state. We really want those voters to participate, but we don't have the control over that shipping time. So it is very difficult."
U.S. Postal Service
Peterka said he reached out to officials from his municipality for help, and they had him fill out a privacy release to contact the post office on behalf of him and his wife. He hopes something can be done to prevent this in future.
"Just don't want this to affect an election outcome because the post office is failing to do their job properly," said Peterka.
FOX6 News reached out to the U.S. Postal Service for comment. A spokesperson said they are looking into the case.
The Source: Information in this report is from FOX6 News interviews and the Wisconsin Elections Commission.