MILWAUKEE — While some voters have already cast their ballots early for this April's election, others are still waiting for their absentee ballots to arrive in the mail.
Michael Schulteis, a frequent absentee voter, tells TMJ4 that the delay he is experiencing is unusual.
"I've been voting since I was 18, so I've never missed an election, and I didn't want to miss this one either," Schulteis said. Concerned about the timing of his ballot, he reached out to TMJ4 when he noticed it was taking longer than expected to arrive.
"For the last five years since COVID started, we've been doing absentee voting," Schulteis explained, indicating that this year was no different for him.
The Municipal Clerk announced ballots were sent out March 11. Schulteis expected to receive his ballot by March 12, but it did not arrive. After waiting a couple of days, he spoke with his postal carrier, who confirmed he had not received any ballots for Schulteis.
"I called my municipal clerk, who confirmed my ballot was sent to the post office on the 11th," Schulteis said. "So I called them again [Wednesday] morning and said it's still not here. When I talked to him, I explained it's never happened before. We've always gotten them, and he said he's never had so many complaints of undelivered ballots as right now."
Watch: Milwaukee voters share concerns over absentee ballot delays
Schulteis is not alone in his concerns. Paulina Gutierrez, the executive director of Milwaukee’s elections commission, stated that her office has received numerous inquiries from voters about their missing ballots. Gutierrez said her team is monitoring the situation closely.
The city's elections commission has stated that all ballots should arrive within two weeks of being sent. If voters do not receive their ballots in that time frame, they can request a replacement.
"I want to know from the post office where it is," Schulteis added. If his ballot does not arrive soon, he plans to vote in person this year.
"I want to make sure my vote counts."
The U.S. Postal Service has not responded to TMJ4's requests for comment but informed Gutierrez that they are not observing widespread delays in ballot deliveries.
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