HOUSTON — There’s a lot of misinformation floating around social media about the November election including a rumor that if you don’t use two stamps to mail-in your ballot, it won’t get delivered.
There are several posts popping up on Facebook about mail-in ballots. One claims there’s “extra postage required." Another reads, in part, “Spread the word! You need two stamps for mail-in ballots. Make sure this gets passed on.”
Cynthia asked the Verify team, “Is this correct?”
We have two sources for this. The United States Postal Service and the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
According to the USPS website, “Short-paid and unpaid absentee balloting materials must never be returned to the voter for additional postage. Postage is collected from the election office upon delivery or at a later date. Do not delay delivery of balloting materials.”
So, your ballot will get delivered regardless of the postage you use.
But just because you won’t be held responsible for paying the postage, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
So, how many stamps will you need? Well, that depends.
A spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State's Office says, “The exact postage cost for returning a ballot to an elections office will vary by county due to differences in ballot style and overall weight.”
So, we can Verify, this claim is false.
Some states have online ballot tracking systems. Texas does not. But you can call your local county clerk’s office to confirm they’ve received it.