Guam – The Guam Election Commission has joined GWA, GPA, GMH, private businesses and private individuals in protest over the postal address fiasco on island.
And finally, someone in Washington is listening.
Thursday, GEC Executive Director Maria Pangelinan says she got a phone call from Deputy U.S. Postmaster, General Ron Stroman who rang her up after hearing media reports about the “mailing address” problems here on Guam.
Thousands of letters, bills, packages have been returned to senders because the data base of the new computerized mail sorting system installed on island doesn’t have the correct addresses of many island residents and business locations.
Whether its the fault of the USPS, or some GovGuam entity that provided the bad address to the Post Office, its created numerous headaches for those who still depend on mail service to get their business done.
Recently the Post Office here issued letters to those getting returned mail, advising them to use the address that’s in the data base of the Post Office’s new computer. But many who got that letter noted that it instructs them to use a different village on their address, from the village they actually they live in.
That has created particular problems for the Guam Election Commission. Among those problems, Pangelinan cites the example of a newly registered voter who must enter their physical address on their voter application form. Where they live determines where they’ll be allowed to vote, and its to that address that their voter registration information will be mailed.
But what happens to a person who lives in Sinajana, but has been told their mailing address is Agana Heights? That could lead to confusion at the polls, a voter being disqualified , disenfranchised.
Ronald A. Stroman, Deputy Postmaster General (DPMG)
Pangelinan raised that and other issues with Stroman.
She says Stroman told her not to worry about that letter sent out by the regional Office here. And she says he told her that he has deputized someone in the Postal Service to resolve the address problem on Guam.
Pangelinan also said she told Stroman that she should not be the point of contact for resolving this issue. She advised Stroman to contact the Mayors Council saying the Mayors are in the best position to help get the addresses right because their closest to the village residents who are not getting their mail, or getting it returned.
Pangelinan also expressed confidence that these issues could be worked out before the August primary.