Maine voters overseas create processing backlog at Secretary of State’s Office

A high number of absentee ballot requests from Maine voters overseas has led to a processing backlog at the Secretary of State’s Office, leaving some to wonder whether their votes have reached their destination.

Richard Giordano, a physician from Stonington who is working in London, said in an email to the Portland Press Herald that he mailed his ballot Oct. 15 but has yet to receive confirmation that it was received. He contacted an election official in Maine, who told him that the Secretary of State’s Office is behind in entering absentee ballots that have come in by mail.

Kristen Musynski, a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State, said that despite the delays, the staff is confident that all ballots will be entered before Election Day.

Musynski said the state had issued 4,495 ballots, either electronically or by mail, to voters overseas as of Wednesday. Of those, only 1,135 had been entered into the system and another 2,000 were pending.

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/2016/11/02/overseas-voters-creating-processing-backlog-at-secretary-of-state/