SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – The largest health care union in the U.S. filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service to ensure that all ballots are transferred into the hands of the county supervisor of elections in Florida on Election Day, in time to be counted.

Perhaps the most alarming part about this lawsuit is that of the five elections supervisors Spectrum News 13 reached out to in our area of Volusia, Seminole, Orange, Marion, and Osceola counties, none were even aware of this lawsuit that was filed on October 16 until we asked them about it.

In a statement released to us by the United States Postal Service they say they are, "complying with court orders and is committed to handle whatever volume of mail it receives." 

Meanwhile it is voting day for Seminole County resident Bagher Pourtadayoun. 

“It’s too late to mail it now,” Pourtadayoun said, after dropping off his mail in ballot at the Supervisor of Elections Office. 

He also has his other reasons for not dropping his ballot in the mail.

“I didn’t want to pay the stamps," Bagher said. "I wasn’t sure it was going to get to the poll in time.”

A current common theme in the county. 

Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson says that of all the mail-in ballots that have been cast, roughly 70 percent were dropped off instead of sent off.

“The first two days of early voting we got like 20,000 vote-by-mail ballots that came in from the drop box," SOE of Seminole County Chris Anderson said. "As for mail it was about five trays we received from the Post Office.”

This past August, over 1,500 mail-in ballots did not get to Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis in time for the August 18 Primary. Many were postmarked August 17. Deborah Poulalion, who is challenging Anderson in Seminole County for the SOE position, feels this ruling could be a start in the right direction for future elections.

“I think this is a remedy for that," Supervisor of Elections of Seminole County Democratic candidate Deborah Poulalion said. "If there is a standard, and if it is not followed they may need to reconsider some of the ballots.”

The USPS released a statement in part saying: "The Postal Service has allocated additional resources, including, but not limited to, expanded processing procedures, extra transportation, extra delivery and collection trips, and overtime, to ensure that Election Mail reaches its intended destination in a timely manner."

Bagher isn’t taking any chances.

“It’s easier to do it this way,” Bagher said, leaving the parking lot of the election office.  

And that’s what a majority of mail-in ballot voters in Seminole County feel as well.

Spectrum News 13 did ask the United States Post Office twice why they have not reached out to our local SOEs about this recent ruling. The agency gave us their previous statement of, “The Postal Service is complying with court’s order and is fully committed and actively working to handle whatever volume of Election Mail it receives.”