USPSA Elections

USPSA members should be aware that we're electing a new President and several Area Directors this month. In fact, all members should have received a ballot in the mail recently.

What we may not be aware of is that there was a delay in delivering the mail. Here is the announcement from USPSA (available on the USPSA Member's webpage):

One (sic) the weekend of August 11-12 the USPSA Board of Directors learned that due to a vendor error, ballots for the 2007 Presidential and Area Director Elections were mailed using "standard" mail rather than first class as required by our bylaws. "Standard" is the postal service's new term for what was previously called "bulk"

USPSA hires a CPA firm to conduct the election, which in turn uses the services of a direct mailing firm for the actual mailing of the ballots. The use of "Standard" rather than "First Class" postage was an error on the part of the direct mail firm.

As a result, the board has acted to take the following actions:

• All members, other than foreign members (whose original ballot was sent via first class mail) will receive a new ballot.
• You may cast your vote with the original ballot or with the new ballot. If the accounting firm receives both, only the new ballot will be counted.
• The deadline for all ballots is extended to October 1, 2007

So if you're panicking because (like me) you marked your ballot and then misplaced it ... relax, you still have six weeks most of September to find it.

Fortunately, my ballot only hid out for a week and I've already found and marked mine. However, if you absolutely can't find your ballot, or 'the dog ate it', my best advice would be to contact USPSA or your area director immediately to see about getting a replacement ballot.

Correction: not an option (see update at the bottom of this page.)

No, I don't know if there are procedures in place to compensate for your personal lapse in situational awareness, but I'm pretty sure it's easy to ask, and be known as a dork, than to not ask and feel like a dork.

Ummmm ... that may not have ended up sounding as helpful as I intended.

Here's some more advise: talk to your spouse, Significant Other, or whomever it is that influences you to be more than you than you are by yourself. I mentioned to SWMBO this weekend that my dog ate my ballot, and she reminded me that I don't have a dog. She made me go through my briefcase One More Time to be absolutely sure it wasn't in there. Sure enough, it was. My advise: seek help! It worked for me.

One thing I know for sure, is that my ballot is marked, the ballot stamped, and I'm putting it in the mail even as we speak.




Mike McCarter for President!

UPDATE: 26-AUG-2007
Per Dave Thomas of USPSA:
USPSA does *not* send replacement ballots to individuals as per 6.5.