Key Message Points

For Election Officials

The following message points can be used when talking with election officials and others about the convenience and security of voting by mail:

• Record numbers of voters will cast their votes by mail in the 2008 presidential election.
• Every state in the country allows absentee voting by mail, with 29 of the 50 states offering no-excuse absentee balloting.
• First-Class Mail^® service provides security, speed, and affordable rates for highly important and time-sensitive mail.
• Tampering or interfering with U.S. Mail^® is a fed­eral crime that is enforced by one of the nation’s old­est law enforcement agencies — the United States Postal Inspection Service.
• The U.S. Postal Service^® is the most trusted gov­ernment agency.¹

For Employees

These message points can be used when speaking to employees about the increased volume of election mail in the mailstream and its proper handling:

• Record numbers of voters are expected to cast their votes by mail in the 2008 presidential election, estab­lishing the Postal Service as a major nonpartisan partner in the nation’s electoral process.
• Voting by mail enhances the value of mail in the minds of the American public and facilitates new vol­ume for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail^® ser­vice.
• The timely and proper handling of election mail is critical to establishing the Postal Service as a reliable alternative to in-person voting systems.
• Green Tag 191 is recommended for use with trays and sacks containing official ballot mail and red Tag 57 is recommended for use with PCM. Use of these tags provides greater visibility to mail trays or sacks during Postal Service handling.