By james art Question: What happens to the newsletters that are delivered to Cares Campus?
short answer: All bulletins delivered to the Cares Campus are kept behind a locked mailroom door in the Resource Center, sorted alphabetically in designated mailboxes, and require photo IDs for access. According to the county, there is no unattended mail.
Full discussion:
A reader emailed a question about potential unattended ballots at Campus Cares, so RGJ asked what the homeless shelter’s mail room looked like and if it was safe for ballots coming in the mail.
Washoe County spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale told the RGJ that Campus Cares is very secure because things like bulletins, social security cards and checks and other important materials come through their mail system.
“They are not unattended. We treat newsletters like any federally protected mail. … All mail is important,” Drysdale said.
Here is the full redacted discussion with the county:
RGJ: Can an individual put their mailing address on Cares Campus?
Drysdale: Anyone in Washoe County who does not have a permanent mailing address can use the Cares Campus. As of September, 629 individuals use the Campus Cares mailroom. There were 1,922 collections in the same month, so people can pick up their mail often.
RGJ: Can people register to vote using the Cares Campus address?
Drysdale: Residents can use Cares Campus as their residential address for voter registration. Those without a permanent address can also use a general location description such as their residence address – such as a street corner – for their voter registration. Just because a person does not have a fixed address does not mean that they do not have the right to vote.
RGJ: Where is the Cares Campus Mailroom?
Drysdale: The mail room is in the Resource Center behind a locked door.
RGJ: Who has access to the mail room?
Drysdale: Access is limited to four people. These are the staff supervisors and then the mailroom manager.
RGJ: What is required to access Cares Campus mail?
Drysdale: When someone comes to pick up their mail, they have to show their identity card, which is the clarity card. This is the card that homeless people use to get services. The Clarity Card is scanned and has photo ID, so staff can make sure the person picking up the mail is the right person.
RGJ: Can someone pick up mail for a friend?
Drysdale: One person cannot pick up mail for someone else. We do not forward federal mail to anyone else, it must be the person it is addressed to and then it is given to them.
RGJ: Is there ever a time when mail is unprotected?
Drysdale: Once mail is received, it is locked at all times. All mail is important, including newsletters, so all are treated very seriously.
RGJ: What happens if a person does not show up for their ballot?
Drysdale: Mail is date stamped and stored for 30 days. If someone doesn’t pick up their mail, it goes back to sender. In the case of ballots, they will be returned to the Washoe County Clerk of Voters office. This is how the county can research a mailing address and determine if someone has moved or needs to be made inactive or whatever the case may be. Voters must also have a notarized signature for the ballot to be counted.
RGJ: Can someone send in their Cares Campus newsletter?
Drysdale: An individual cannot leave mail to be sent from there, so there is no outgoing mail. Newsletters cannot be sent from Cares Campus. Cares Campus registrants should drop off their ballots at the voting center, mailbox, or post office.
Jaedyn Young covers local government for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Her salaries are 100% funded by donations and grants; If you want to see more stories like this, please consider donating to RGJ.com/donate. Send your story ideas and feedback to Jaedyn at [email protected].