The Postal Service provides two publications related to OEM — Publication 631, Official Election Mail Graphic Guidelines and Logos, and Publication 632, State and Local Election Mail — User’s Guide. Both are available as electronic publications and can be printed in either PDF or HTML file formats from the Election 2008 internal site at http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/election.htm.
Publication 631, Official Election Mail Graphic Guidelines and Logos, provides detailed information on the print and color specifications for using the OEM logo. The logo is a trademark image that may only be used by election officials in accordance with the design specifications in Publication 631. The logo may be used on any mailpiece created by an election official that is mailed to or from a citizen of the United States for the purpose of participating in the voting process. This includes balloting materials, voter registration cards, absentee applications, polling place notifications, and voter reply mail.
The Postal Service encourages election officials to use the logo on their OEM materials. Use of the OEM logo helps recipients recognize a mailpiece as important and distinct from other PCM. The logo also serves to identify OEM to Postal Service workers and distinguish it from the thousands of other mailpieces that are processed daily. However, use of the logo is not intended to upgrade the level of service paid for or substitute for required postage.
Publication 632, State and Local Election Mail — User’s Guide, is designed to help election officials make decisions involving the design of their mailpiece, address list cleansing, class of mail, options for reply mail, and obtaining postage discounts. Working with the local MDA is recommended to ensure mailpiece quality and avoid potential preparation problems. Publication 632 also includes a checklist that election officials can follow to help achieve a successful mailing.
Post Office personnel should provide copies of Publications 631 and 632 to their local election officials. For more information on election mail, direct election officials to www.usps.com/electionmail.
