I have a process question on absentee and/or mail-in voting.

[Frustratedlady]

When we mail in the ballot, where does it go to sit until time to count them? For some reason, I am concerned about ballots disappearing (IF they even arrive with the USPS situation). With us mailing in early, how safe are those ballots?

I've voted absentee for years and never worried about it, but that isn't how I feel today.

[LisaL]

1. Where do ballots go if you vote early in person?

NT

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Here, we have ballot scanners and the paper ballots go into secured ballot bags-- just...

like on Election Day.

The ballot bags are secured at BoE headquarters..

[LisaL]

5. I am assuming absentee ballots also go to same secured bags.

Here they can be scanned and tallied before the election. The results can not be released, but other than that, they will be scanned and tallied early on.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. This is the first year we've had early voting and we're still figuring some things out...

In the past, scanning ballots early was discouraged because some people come in and vote personally even though they sent in a ballot-- avoiding confusion is always a primary concern.

One year they sorted the absentee ballots and dropped them off at the individual ED locations for poll workers to scan-- that didn't work so we went back to scanning them at BoE HQ.

And, yes, absentee ballots are secured. The ballot bags are identified with a particular scanner, and I haven't seen what they drop newly received ballots in.

[Frustratedlady]

6. Ballots are sealed until the time of election, aren't they?

Voting in person would be entered. That vote is not portable...cannot be moved as a ballot.

How many times have we read about some polling place finding a bag of ballots after the fact?

[LisaL]

7. Not here.

Ballots can be counted starting several weeks before the election.
I haven't read anything about voting place finding a bag of ballots recently.

[Frustratedlady]

11. Here are two. Search for ballots found after election is closed...or something similar.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/mesa-county-finds-500-uncounted-ballots-in-ballot-box-from-2019-election/73-9357473e-e2b8-4992-8ec9-0891f3ebfc10

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/11/politics/florida-miami-dade-election-uncounted-ballots/index.html

I've seen several articles about some state finding a box or bag of ballots after the election is over. I ran a search for info and just picked two of the first articles that came with the search. With so many deciding to use mail-in voting/absentee voting, I could just picture packages of ballots being pushed to the side and forgotten.

I think our state may have the option to check to see if your ballot was counted. If so, I'll feel a lot better about it.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Call your county Board of Elections. Usually there are some state guidelines, but other than that...

everyone does it little differently.

[Blue_true]

4. Call your County Registrar and ask that question.

On my county, a ballot is scanned as soon as it has been accepted as properly done. It gets counted once scanned. In the Florida State Primary, I voted by mail about a month and a half before the primary election. About 20 days before the election I went to the registrar’s site for another issue and the first thing that I saw was my primary ballot status, it was counted.

[Frustratedlady]

8. Thank you. That's what I wanted to know.

So, basically there would be a count of the mail-ins. Amazing we don't know what that count is before the end. How do they keep that number secret from either party? Curious minds, and all that...

[Blue_true]

10. During the counting, elections observers from each party are present.

Those people see what the official counts are, but they are sworn to secrecy. On election night after polls close, the county registrar released the official count that all political parties had an official representative witness.

[Frustratedlady]

12. Thank you. If the counts leaked, it would be a good opportunity for shenanigans. Just sayin'.

For some reason, I am particularly apprehensive this year. Wonder why.

[Blue_true]

13. I understand your concern. I am going to be extra alert when I vote.

My County Registrar appears to be a standup person as far as fair elections are concerned. But one thing that we know in the age of Trump, people can be corrupted.

[Retrograde]

14. 50 states + DC 51 sets of rules

Unless we know where you live, we can't give you a good answer.

When in doubt about an election issue, contact your county registrar of voters and ask them.

In my California county, the signatures on the envelope are verified and if they seem to match what's on record (and I believe they use the most recent DMV signature) they're marked as "counted" and go into the batch to be scanned on election day. If not, it's noted on the web site and you're supposed to be told why it was rejected so you can make corrections.