Citing voter concerns over mail-in ballots, Nebraska lawmaker calls for 'secrecy sleeve'

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/citing-voter-concerns-over-mail-in-ballots-nebraska-lawmaker-calls/article_b889803e-9eb3-52c3-ba12-c8f6dc5a27a7.html

POSTED: SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015 1:00 AM
By Robynn Tysver / World-Herald staff writer

Paul Schumacher hears it all the time: More and more voters in Nebraska are worried about the secrecy of their ballots in the age of mail-in elections.

The angst is especially acute in small towns, where everybody knows everybody, and some voters worry that an election worker will sneak a peek at their ballot and realize they didn’t vote for their crazy brother-in-law.

“I have some people who are just outraged by the fact that they know, or think they know, their ballots are being viewed,” said Schumacher, a Republican state senator from Columbus. “In a small community, they worry that someone can see that they didn’t vote for their relative or they voted for someone in another party.”

Election officials say they neither have the time nor the inclination to look at an individual’s ballot. They’re too busy ripping open envelope after envelope. Besides, observers representing each of the state’s two major political parties are on hand to make sure everyone follows the rules, said David Phipps, Douglas County election commissioner.

FULL story at link.

[cascadiance]

1. In Oregon our vote by mail ballots have secrecy sleeves...

And we also have drop off places to drop your ballots off if you don't want it mailed from your house's mailbox.

It was interesting that in the last election, there were a lot of issues with signature matching what was on file for their registration for ballots that might have made the difference with the closest statewide referendum on GMO labeling today during the recount when the difference in counts was in the range where counting these ballots might have made up the difference. Issues such as women signing with a different signature before they were married might affect how their ballots were counted.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/measure_92_judge_says_no_to_re.html

At least there was a web site that was provided that provided voters a means to check to see if their ballot was counted. I'm guessing that if more people knew about that, perhaps enough of those votes could have been counted to have this measure pass. That is an area that vote by mail system supporters should be looking at to make sure works properly for close elections to be counted right.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Just moments ago I voted in a school board election and almost forgot my secrecy sleeve!

There was a moment of panic. I always drop it off at the elections office, it's fun.