Voters’ poorly marked ovals could lead to contested ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Voters’ poorly marked ovals could lead to contested ballots

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Two decades ago, Florida’s hanging chads became an unlikely symbol of a disputed presidential election. “Potential challenges, delays in results, questions on which ballots count and who counts them — there are just a lot of questions, and that could open up Pennsylvania to a lot of uncertainty.” The group is working with election officials statewide, emphasizing clear and consistent guidelines for dealing with questionable marks, such as when a voter circles a name or uses an X or a checkmark rather than filling in the oval — or even crosses out one selection and marks a second. During vote counting, some counties reported what appeared to be valid votes that weren’t flagged for review by the state’s new high-capacity ballot scanners, which process large volumes of absentee ballots at once. “The vast majority of real-world voter-marked ovals, even very poorly marked ovals, are tabulated accurately and consistently across voting machines,” said Mark Earley, elections supervisor in Leon County, Florida. In Pennsylvania, there are worries ballots could be rejected because voters don’t put them inside a “secrecy envelope” and then into a second, mailing envelope.

Georgia Florida Voting Pennsylvania Election Review Voters Votes Ballots Ballot Election Officials Voter Absentee More Votes Marked Poorly Marked Ovals  states  lead  ballots  ballot  ovals  review  contested  voters  marked  election  votes  voter  absentee  poorly  voting

History of this topic

Hundreds of absentee ballots found a month after election in Wisconsin
1 week, 3 days ago

Hundreds of absentee ballots found a month after election in Wisconsin

Raw Story  

On Election Day in Madison, nearly 200 absentee ballots slipped through the cracks. The critical disenfranchisement of 193 Madison voters on Nov. 5 resulted from mistakes at two different polling locations and the lack of a comprehensive system for poll workers to track whether they’ve counted every absentee ballot At a polling site in Ward 56, just west of downtown, …

North Carolina absentee ballots are being distributed following 2-week delay
3 months, 2 weeks ago

North Carolina absentee ballots are being distributed following 2-week delay

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina counties started distributing absentee ballots Tuesday for the November general election to those who requested them, roughly two weeks later than anticipated as a legal challenge forced delays. State law directed that the first absentee ballots were to go out on Sept. 6, which would have made North Carolina the first in the nation to …

Election Day in the US is approaching fast. Early voters have already started casting their ballots
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Election Day in the US is approaching fast. Early voters have already started casting their ballots

Associated Press  

The voting window for the Nov. 5 presidential election is now open. Trump’s lawyers had argued that holding the sentencing as originally scheduled, about seven weeks before Election Day, would amount to election interference. On Sept. 26, a New York appeals court will hear oral arguments in Trump’s challenge of a nearly $500 million civil fraud judgment in state Attorney …

Michigan election gave communities more time to handle absentee ballots
10 months, 1 week ago

Michigan election gave communities more time to handle absentee ballots

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Michigan’s presidential primary was the first time that communities in the state had the ability to count absentee ballots days before the Tuesday election. “That took a lot of the burden off Election Day tabulation of absentee ballots,” said Michael Siegrist, the clerk in Wayne County’s Canton Township. “Michigan had been held hostage by antiquated laws and procedures.” …

In battleground Wisconsin, election clerks must now accept absentee ballots with partial addresses
11 months ago

In battleground Wisconsin, election clerks must now accept absentee ballots with partial addresses

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Elections Commission has complied with court orders and voted to tell the more than 1,800 local clerks who run elections in the battleground state that they can accept absentee ballots that are missing parts of a witness’s address. The commission voted 5-1 Thursday, with Republican Commissioner Bob Spindell opposed, to adopt the new guidance for …

No voters turned away over Detroit absentee ballot glitch
2 years, 2 months ago

No voters turned away over Detroit absentee ballot glitch

Associated Press  

CLAIM: Voters in Detroit were prevented from casting ballots on Election Day after officials mistakenly said they’d already voted by absentee ballot. One of the places election watchers sounded the alarm early on was the battleground state of Michigan, where they seized on an issue with absentee ballots in Detroit, the state’s largest city. “People are showing up to vote …

Midterm voting mostly problem-free in battleground states, voting advocates report
2 years, 2 months ago

Midterm voting mostly problem-free in battleground states, voting advocates report

Raw Story  

As of midday Tuesday, voting across the country has largely gone smoothly without any major issues or incidents of voter intimidation, voting rights advocates said. In Maricopa County, Arizona, one of the nation’s largest voting jurisdictions in a critical battleground state, election workers Tuesday morning reported issues with ballot tabulators at about 20 percent of vote centers. In a morning …

Wisconsin ballot spoiling is a no-go after court upholds ban
2 years, 2 months ago

Wisconsin ballot spoiling is a no-go after court upholds ban

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin appeals court is refusing to block a lower court’s ruling prohibiting voters who already submitted an absentee ballot from voiding it and voting again, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling. “Thus, claims of confusion and disenfranchisement ring hollow.” The appeals court’s ruling lifted that hold as of 3 p.m. on Friday, leading to …

How are mail-in and absentee ballots verified?
2 years, 2 months ago

How are mail-in and absentee ballots verified?

Associated Press  

How are mail-in and absentee ballots verified? Whether a state requires voters to request an absentee ballot or participates in universal mail-in voting, all ballots cast by mail or dropped off at a drop box are vetted to ensure their legitimacy. In states that require voters to submit applications to receive absentee ballots, the application typically includes several pieces of …

Absentee ballot numbers in Michigan show high voter turnout
2 years, 2 months ago

Absentee ballot numbers in Michigan show high voter turnout

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Over 150,000 Michigan voters have cast absentee ballots a month before the Nov. 8 election that will decide the state’s governor, secretary of state, attorney general and whether access to abortion will be a constitutional right. Rollow said he expects the state “would end up with about 2.25 million absentee ballots submitted if things were to play …

Michigan lawmakers approve early absentee ballot processing
2 years, 3 months ago

Michigan lawmakers approve early absentee ballot processing

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan election officials would begin processing absentee ballots two days before the Nov. 8 election under legislation approved Wednesday in hopes of avoiding delays in counting, with absentee voting expected to remain a popular option. Michigan is one of several key swing states that allows no-excuse mail-in ballots but doesn’t allow local election offices to begin processing …

Earlier NC absentee vote receipt deadline goes to Cooper
3 years, 1 month ago

Earlier NC absentee vote receipt deadline goes to Cooper

Associated Press  

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans pushed a bill through the legislature on Thursday that would prohibit officials from counting mail-in absentee ballots received after Election Day. Providing certainty to election outcomes sooner, Mills added, “will build voter confidence in our election process.” About 30 states already don’t accept absentee ballots received after Election Day. “Some folks may not make …

Absentee ballots suggest sizable interest in Maine election
3 years, 2 months ago

Absentee ballots suggest sizable interest in Maine election

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — Tens of thousands of Mainers requested absentee ballots for Tuesday’s election, suggesting a higher-than-usual vote in an off-year election. That points toward a higher-than-normal turnout for an election in which the statewide ballot features only referendums and no high-profile state or federal political races, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Monday. Proponents call their movement “food sovereignty” …

Report shows big spike in mail ballots during 2020 election
3 years, 4 months ago

Report shows big spike in mail ballots during 2020 election

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Fewer than one-third of voters casting ballots in last year’s U.S. presidential election did so at a polling place on Election Day as the coronavirus pandemic led states to greatly expand mail-in balloting and early voting, according to a federal report released Monday. While voting by mail has been on the rise in recent years, the 2020 election …

NY would count absentee votes faster under bill
3 years, 7 months ago

NY would count absentee votes faster under bill

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York election workers would have to start counting absentee ballots earlier under legislation that passed the state Senate Wednesday. Lawmakers, including Sen. Mike Gianaris, say the state must prevent another election year like 2020, when delays, litigation and mistakes by election boards who faced a flood of absentee ballots led to days, weeks and in some …

A 2020 Surprise: Fewer Absentee Ballot Rejections Than Expected
4 years ago

A 2020 Surprise: Fewer Absentee Ballot Rejections Than Expected

NPR  

A 2020 Surprise: Fewer Absentee Ballot Rejections Than Expected Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Florida resident Kirk Nielsen was very careful when he went to vote this fall. For example, Florida's mail-in ballot envelopes included space where voters could provide their email address or phone number, allowing election officials to …

Record 5.5M voted in Michigan; highest percentage in decades
4 years, 2 months ago

Record 5.5M voted in Michigan; highest percentage in decades

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — More than 5.5 million people voted in Michigan’s presidential election — the most ever and the highest percentage of voting-age residents to cast a ballot in 60 years. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said it was “particularly inspiring and encouraging” that more than 28,000 people took advantage of a new option and registered and voted on Election …

Minnesota SOS: Too late to mail ballots -- but not to vote
4 years, 2 months ago

Minnesota SOS: Too late to mail ballots -- but not to vote

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s secretary of state said Thursday it’s too late for voters to mail back their absentee ballots if they want to make sure their votes count, after an appeals court ruling indicated that mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day are at risk of being invalidated. Simon said voters who still have absentee ballots in hand may drop them …

Race For A (Ballot) Cure: The Scramble To Fix Absentee-Ballot Problems
4 years, 2 months ago

Race For A (Ballot) Cure: The Scramble To Fix Absentee-Ballot Problems

NPR  

Race For A Cure: The Scramble To Fix Absentee-Ballot Problems Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images Hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots could be rejected this November because of mistakes, such as missing or mismatched signatures. Voter advocacy groups, political parties and others are rushing to help voters fix — or "cure" — their ballots …

50,000 Ohio Voters To Receive New Absentee Ballots After Error Found
4 years, 3 months ago

50,000 Ohio Voters To Receive New Absentee Ballots After Error Found

NPR  

50,000 Ohio Voters To Receive New Absentee Ballots After Error Found Enlarge this image toggle caption Jay LaPrete/AP Jay LaPrete/AP A version of this story was originally published by NPR member station WOSU. A large Ohio county determined that about 50,000 voters received an incorrect absentee ballot this week – accounting for almost 21% of the ballots mailed out this …

Election 2020 Today: Sparring over pandemic, ballot mix-ups
4 years, 3 months ago

Election 2020 Today: Sparring over pandemic, ballot mix-ups

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. TODAY’S TOP STORIES: VP DEBATE: Vice President Mike …

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Whitmer approves earlier processing of absentee ballots

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Clerks in Michigan cities or township of at least 25,000 people can start processing a surge of absentee ballots a day before November’s presidential election under legislation signed by Gov. Benson cautioned that because absentee ballots cannot begin to be counted until 7 a.m. on Election Day, the count may not be final until three days after …

Iowa Supreme Court puts ruling on absentee forms on hold
4 years, 3 months ago

Iowa Supreme Court puts ruling on absentee forms on hold

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Iowa Supreme Court on Tuesday swiftly granted a request from Republican groups to stay a judge’s ruling that blocked enforcement of an order that has been used to invalidate tens of thousands of absentee ballot requests. At issue is Monday’s ruling by Judge Robert Hanson that would block Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate from …

GOP lawmakers get green light to appeal absentee ballot case
4 years, 3 months ago

GOP lawmakers get green light to appeal absentee ballot case

Associated Press  

DETROIT — The Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday was granted the right to intervene and appeal a groundbreaking court decision that allows Michigan absentee ballots to be counted for 14 days after the election. The ruling by Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens means the case is certain to land in a higher court in the final weeks of the campaign …

GOP loses bid to suspend Wisconsin absentee ballot ruling
4 years, 3 months ago

GOP loses bid to suspend Wisconsin absentee ballot ruling

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A federal appeals court on Wednesday declined a request by Republicans to suspend a ruling that will allow absentee ballots to be counted for six days after the election in the presidential battleground state. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep its ruling on hold until the Wisconsin Supreme Court could address a separate question about whether the …

Error leaves thousands in NYC with flawed absentee ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Error leaves thousands in NYC with flawed absentee ballots

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Mail-in voting has gotten off to a rocky start in New York City, where election officials sent out nearly 100,000 absentee ballots with the wrong names and addresses printed on the return envelopes. The faulty ballots are limited to one print run of ballots sent out to Brooklyn voters, the board’s director Michael Ryan said at a …

Appellate court halts Wisconsin ballot-counting extension
4 years, 3 months ago

Appellate court halts Wisconsin ballot-counting extension

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — A federal appeals court on Sunday temporarily halted a six-day extension for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin’s presidential election, a momentary victory for Republicans and President Donald Trump in the key presidential battleground state. The Democratic National Committee, the state Democratic Party and allied groups including the League of Women Voters sued to extend the deadline for …

Voters' poorly marked ovals could lead to contested ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Voters' poorly marked ovals could lead to contested ballots

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. While ballots subject to review have historically represented a tiny portion of overall ballots, …

Minnesota begins early voting as candidates visit the state
4 years, 3 months ago

Minnesota begins early voting as candidates visit the state

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — The battleground state of Minnesota began voting in the presidential election on Friday as polling stations opened in every county and local officials began mailing out huge piles of absentee ballots to make voting safer amid the pandemic. “Probably many times over the last four years I had thought, ‘I’m going to be the first dude in Minnesota …

Appeals court: Mass mailing of absent ballot applications OK
4 years, 3 months ago

Appeals court: Mass mailing of absent ballot applications OK

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s mass mailing of unsolicited absentee ballot applications to millions of 2020 voters was deemed legal by Michigan’s appeals court, which ruled Wednesday she had “inherent” authority to act under a 2018 constitutional amendment expanding voting rights. Benson, a Democrat, began sending the applications in May to all voters in the battleground state …

Michigan Senate OKs more time to process absentee ballots
4 years, 3 months ago

Michigan Senate OKs more time to process absentee ballots

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Larger Michigan municipalities could begin processing an expected surge of absentee ballots sooner in the battleground state’s November presidential election under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. The legislation, which had been stalled in the Senate for months despite bipartisan support, would let clerks in communities with at least 25,000 residents open return envelopes for …

Wisconsin court sets up possible delay in absentee mailing
4 years, 3 months ago

Wisconsin court sets up possible delay in absentee mailing

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a halt in the mailing of absentee ballots until it gives the go-ahead or makes any future ruling about who should be on the ballot in the critical battleground state. The ruling came in a lawsuit by Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins, who asked the state’s highest court …

In battlegrounds, absentee ballot rejections could triple
4 years, 4 months ago

In battlegrounds, absentee ballot rejections could triple

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Thousands of absentee ballots get rejected in every presidential election. If ballots are rejected at the same rate as during this year’s primaries, up to three times as many voters in November could be disenfranchised in key battleground states when compared to the last presidential election, according to an Associated Press analysis of rejected ballots. If voter turnout …

Virginia lawmakers approve absentee voting measures
4 years, 4 months ago

Virginia lawmakers approve absentee voting measures

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Friday to legislation aimed at making absentee voting easier in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, including having the state prepay postage and provide drop boxes for absentee ballots. The House of Delegates approved a Senate bill that will allocate $2 million for prepaid postage and also set up a process for …

Trump suggests polling place double-check for mail-in voters
4 years, 4 months ago

Trump suggests polling place double-check for mail-in voters

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that people who vote early by mail should show up at their local polling places on Election Day and vote again if their ballots haven’t been counted, a suggestion that experts said would lead to chaos, long lines and more work for election officials during a public health crisis. “That is not necessary, …

Trump faces pushback for seeming to urge people to vote twice as a test
4 years, 4 months ago

Trump faces pushback for seeming to urge people to vote twice as a test

LA Times  

President Trump said Thursday that people who vote early by mail should show up at their polling places on election day and vote again if their ballots haven’t been counted, a suggestion that experts said would lead to chaos, long lines and more work for election officials during a public health crisis. “That is not necessary, and it would lead …

More Than 550,000 Primary Absentee Ballots Rejected In 2020, Far Outpacing 2016
4 years, 4 months ago

More Than 550,000 Primary Absentee Ballots Rejected In 2020, Far Outpacing 2016

NPR  

More Than 550,000 Primary Absentee Ballots Rejected In 2020, Far Outpacing 2016 Enlarge this image toggle caption Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images An extraordinarily high number of ballots — more than 550,000 — have been rejected in this year's presidential primaries, according to a new analysis by NPR. For their part, Democrats are pushing widespread mail-in voting but are …

NY lets voters get absentee ballots due to virus concerns
4 years, 4 months ago

NY lets voters get absentee ballots due to virus concerns

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York will allow voters to request absentee ballots for the general election because of an outbreak — like coronavirus — under a new state law signed Thursday. New York typically only allows voters to request absentee ballots if they fall into one of several categories, including absence from one’s county on Election Day. Election officers worked …

AP FACT CHECK: Trump muddies facts on mail ballots, Harris
4 years, 4 months ago

AP FACT CHECK: Trump muddies facts on mail ballots, Harris

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is muddying the facts about mail-in voting and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. “While certain pockets of the country have seen their share of absentee-ballot scandals, problems are extremely rare in the five states that rely primarily on vote-by-mail, including the heavily Republican state of Utah.” White …

Trump's absentee ballot is waiting at Mar-a-Lago amid his war on mail-in voting
4 years, 4 months ago

Trump's absentee ballot is waiting at Mar-a-Lago amid his war on mail-in voting

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

Donald Trump Can Do More Than Attack Post Office Funding. He’s Mounting A Legal War Against Mailed Ballots.
4 years, 4 months ago

Donald Trump Can Do More Than Attack Post Office Funding. He’s Mounting A Legal War Against Mailed Ballots.

Huff Post  

President Donald Trump stunned even hardened observers when he admitted on national television Thursday morning that he would not agree to additional U.S. These include directing the Postal Service not to deliver mailed ballots and ordering state officials to stop counting absentee ballots on Election Day, even though the president doesn’t have legal authority to do either of these things. …

Record 76% of Americans able to vote by mail in 2020 despite Trump’s complaints
4 years, 4 months ago

Record 76% of Americans able to vote by mail in 2020 despite Trump’s complaints

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If recent election trends hold and turnout increases, …

States Have 83 Days To Figure Out How To Get Absentee Voting Right
4 years, 4 months ago

States Have 83 Days To Figure Out How To Get Absentee Voting Right

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Counting Tuesday’s primary elections, 47 states have held votes during the coronavirus pandemic, dealing with massive surges in voting by mail that have served as a dry run for the general election. Voters in Minnesota had returned 432,000 absentee ballots out of a total of 637,000 requested ahead of Tuesday’s statewide primary elections. Minnesota election officials warned …

Experts debunk Trump's claims about susceptibility of mail-in ballots to tampering, children's immunity to COVID-19
4 years, 5 months ago

Experts debunk Trump's claims about susceptibility of mail-in ballots to tampering, children's immunity to COVID-19

Firstpost  

Trump has claimed that with the in-mail voting system, it would take “months or years” for a winner to be declared. Any — any foreign national, talk about foreign election interference, can mail in a ballot and nobody even verifies if they’re a citizen of the United States of America.” — Fox News interview Monday. ___ MERCEDES SCHLAPP, Trump campaign …

Vote-By-Mail Worries Mount As Election Nears
4 years, 5 months ago

Vote-By-Mail Worries Mount As Election Nears

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING BOSTON — Brace yourself for what’s expected to be the first U.S. presidential election conducted mostly by mail. “It hasn’t been built to withstand that high of a volume.” Among the major concerns: — Although Congress has sent $400 million to help states deal with pandemic-related pressures on election systems, it’s well short of the estimated $2 …

AP FACT CHECK: Trump misleads on mail ballots, virus vaccine
4 years, 5 months ago

AP FACT CHECK: Trump misleads on mail ballots, virus vaccine

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — It was a week of relentless attacks by President Donald Trump and his allies on mail-in voting for the November election, and truth took a beating at every turn. ___ FOREIGN INTERFERENCE TRUMP, on the threat from Russia, China and Iran of meddling in the U.S. presidential election: “The biggest risk that we have is mail-in ballots.. It’s …

US: Trump’s attacks on mail-in votes could cost Republicans
4 years, 5 months ago

US: Trump’s attacks on mail-in votes could cost Republicans

Al Jazeera  

With less than 90 days until election day, Republicans are scrambling to counter the effects of United States President Donald Trump’s verbal war on mail ballots amid growing evidence that it has helped Democrats heading into the crucial November 3 contest. In key battleground states, including Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, officials last month sent fliers to millions of Republican …

Record 2.5M voted in primary; Benson pushes for legislation
4 years, 5 months ago

Record 2.5M voted in primary; Benson pushes for legislation

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — A record 2.5 million votes were cast in Michigan’s primary, as people took advantage of no-excuse absentee voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Thursday. Voters really showed up, voted by mail, voted in person and demonstrated that even in the midst of a pandemic, people want to vote,” said Benson, who for …

Mail-in ballots and absentee ballots are essentially the same, both verifiable
4 years, 5 months ago

Mail-in ballots and absentee ballots are essentially the same, both verifiable

Associated Press  

CLAIM: Mail-in ballots are not the same thing as absentee ballots. THE FACTS: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, some politicians have tried to paint a picture of two diverging systems: absentee voting, or requesting a ballot when you can’t vote in person, and mail-in voting, in which states send a ballot to every registered voter. A post viewed …

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