Six days after Walters sent the certified letters, they were finally delivered – missing the deadline by less than 24 hours. A few days after that, Walters got letters from the Cook County Clerk and the Chicago Board of Elections stating that the missed deadline means any write-in votes cast in his name will not be counted.
“Very frustrating,” he said, “and I feel like my civil rights have been violated.”
Walters also says he was told on the phone by an election official that a postmark of April 23 would count. But election officials told Kozlov postmarks do not count – per state statute.
On Wednesday afternoon, Post Office spokesman Timothy Norman said they are concerned anytime they do not provide the level of service customers expect and deserve.