OGLETHORPE COUNTY, Ga. — Officials with the Georgia Secretary of State's office have confirmed with 11Alive that the U.S. Postal Service "mishandled" a number of ballots from Oglethorpe County.
Thankfully, all the ballots were located as of May 6, according to election officials within Oglethorpe County.
However, it is still unclear exactly how many ballots were lost and how long they may have been missing.
USPS issued a statement Tuesday evening stating that the Postal Service has located and processed the ballots. In addition, the postal carriers began delivering the ballots on Tuesday.
“The Postal Service works closely with local election officials across the state of Georgia throughout the election season. We have contacted the Georgia State Election Board as well as Oglethorpe County’s Board of Elections to communicate the ballot status and regret any concern caused," the statement continued. "The Postal Service remains committed to the timely and secure delivery of Election Mail and will continue to work with the Georgia Boards of Election as we look forward to a successful election."
It's nevertheless concerning news for voters, as the upcoming primary date for local and state elections is May 21.
More on Georgia mail delays
11Alive has received more than 2,000 viewer messages asking for answers and help with tracking packages and mail ranging from absentee ballots and tax documents to critical prescription medication and travel documents.
According to the USPS' public dashboard, which measures service performance by zip code, on-time delivery of first-class mail in Georgia dropped in mid-February as the Palmetto facility launched. While Georgia's numbers had previously hovered around 80 percent of on-time delivery at the beginning of 2024, the week of Feb. 24 shows on-time rates taking a dive.
Response from local leaders
Senators grilled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Capitol Hill weeks ago during a special oversight hearing focused on USPS and mail delays in states like Georgia.
The testimony that day exposed lawmakers’ frustration, with many senators questioning DeJoy over a lack of transparency and response to various congressional inquiries.
Senator Jon Ossoff, who questioned DeJoy during the hearing, continues to tell 11Alive he’s deeply dissatisfied with the postal service's performance.
“Postal workers are out there working their hearts out every day, but if they don't have the leadership and infrastructure necessary to deliver the mail on time, we see the consequences,” Sen. Ossoff said. "I have followed up in writing with the Postmaster General, and I am anticipating that we will receive some updated data that will reveal whether they've made the necessary improvements."
Meanwhile, Georgia Congressman Mike Collins has been pushing for answers regarding mail issues in Georgia since December, before the problems worsened with the new regional processing and distribution center.
After a 1-on-1 conversation with DeJoy, Collins shared a change in tone when speaking with 11Alive about the call with DeJoy. The conversation, he said, launched a new line of communication regarding the Palmetto facility issues.
“I told General DeJoy that, you know, I think the biggest problem that I saw from a customer standpoint and from my standpoint with constituents calling us was just a big lack of transparency,” Collins shared, adding that the two also discussed logistics, including staffing and trucking contracts, that exacerbated issues with the facility’s launch.
11Alive continues to contact the postal service and previously asked to tour the facility as well. So far, that request has been denied.
Those experiencing delays or who have not received mail can contact the newsroom with your concerns as we continue to cover this story. Fill out our online form below, and someone from our news team will follow up with you.