I believe it states on the envelope that you cannot hand deliver it.
Not so - you can hand deliver it to your local Registrar of Voters before the election or to any polling place on Election Day. I've done it myself many times, just to avoid the possiblity. Now I just vote at the polling place, so certain am I that the Democratic Party here in California is tampering with absentee ballots.
In some states a hand-delivered absentee ballot IS VOID and cannot be accepted!! Be sure to check your local laws -- you do not want your ballot challenged because it was hand-delivered and did not carry a post mark.