Ballot postage problem revealed By George Merritt Denver Post Staff Writer The return envelope sent out with Denver's absentee ballots instructs voters to affix postage that's 24 cents less than the mailing actually costs. Denver Election Commission officials said the mistake will not affect the delivery of the ballots. But it does mean Sequoia Voting Systems - a vendor ed by the commission - will have to reimburse the U.S. Postal Service for the difference. As of Wednesday, the Denver Election Commission said about 44,000 ballots went out to residents. Each of those had a return envelope that instructed voters to include postage for 63 cents. But the 2.3 ounce package costs 87 cents to mail - 24 cents more than the instructions indicate. The issue is the second major mistake to surface since voters began receiving ballots this week. Another mistake led to the "yes" and "no" vote options for Referendum F to be flipped. Commission spokesman Alton Dillard blamed both problems of Sequioa Voting Systems - the vendor Denver chose for its voting machines as well as ballot printing. "It looks like Sequoia has given us bum information again," he said today. Apparently, the postal miscalculation was made Advertisement because of inch-wide, perforated tabs across the top of the ballots. Sequoia officials calculated the postage based on the weight of the ballots without the tabs. But nowhere - in the voting instructions or on the ballot - is there an indication that voters should remove the tab. The issue will not keep mailed ballots from getting to election commission. "No ballot will be refused," Dillard said.