by Kit Bowen, Hollywood.com Staff
HOLLYWOOD, Mar. 1, 2001 -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences have sent out the ballots for the 73rd Annual Academy Awards - and this time, Academy voters, rest assured. You will get them on time.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat performance of last year, when several thousand ballots were mistakenly mixed in with bulk mail shipments and never sent out, the AMPAS took extra precautions when sending out the approximately 4,300 ballots to voting members on Wednesday. The organization mailed ballots to overseas members and those outside of California early-on Feb. 21.
Oscar organizers traditionally dropped off the ballots in canvas bags at the Beverly Hills post office. This year, according to AMPAS president Robert Rehme, "The post office �came and picked them up [from the Academy]."
Lost ballots were not the only problem the Academy experienced last year. A shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes was stolen off a loading dock, with all but three recovered later, only days before the awards show aired.
Ballots must be returned to the offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, 2001. The votes are then tabulated by the auditing firm and the winners' names are placed in sealed envelopes to be opened on Oscar Night�.
� 2001 Hollywood.com