How are signature mismatches determined for US Election mail-in ballots?
October 7, 2020 10:35 PM Subscribe
Seeing a lot of chatter online about making sure your mail-in ballot signature matches whatever the state has on file, which got me wondering how close of a match it has to be? Signature consistency isn't a universal skill, and there's a spectrum between a perfect match and total mismatch. Is it being compared by humans or machines? Are the humans trained in signature identification at all? Is there a review process for flagged signatures? Is the voter notified and is there any way to contest the invalidation?
I'm sure answers would vary by state or even county, but any and all answers welcome as this is more to feed my curiosity since I find so much talk about making sure signatures "match" but everyone seems to think this is an easy black and white process, whereas I'm thinking that not only is there a lot of gray area, but there could also be a vector for abuse if judged by a human without a second or third opinion.
I'm sure answers would vary by state or even county, but any and all answers welcome as this is more to feed my curiosity since I find so much talk about making sure signatures "match" but everyone seems to think this is an easy black and white process, whereas I'm thinking that not only is there a lot of gray area, but there could also be a vector for abuse if judged by a human without a second or third opinion.
Response by poster: Wow, just published today, and pretty much the exact type of info I was looking for. Thanks, saeculorum!
posted by p3t3 at 11:04 PM on October 7, 2020
posted by p3t3 at 11:04 PM on October 7, 2020
Best answer: I posted this in the similar question on Tuesday...
= = =
Yesterday afternoon, Molly Fitzpatrick, the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder and Ricky Hatch, the Weber County Clerk and Auditor did a Reddit AMA on mail-in and early voting. Signature matching came up a few times:
Is there a way to see what my signature looks like in registration data? Where would I go to find that?
You'll probably want to ask your local election official - this functionality varies by system. Many systems hold more than one signature per voter. If you have concerns that your signature on file might be different than your current signature, ask them how you can update it. It may very well require going through the registration process again.
Regardless, rest assured that if your signature does not match, you'll be notified and given a chance to make things right and have your vote counted. And, in these cases, your election official will most likely update your signature so you don't have this problem in future elections.
...later...
For ballots that are "rejected," because of scribbled/missing signatures, please know that we will contact the voter and give them a chance to "cure" or remedy the situation, so their vote will be counted. Unfortunately, many people end up not fixing it, for whatever reason. We try to make that cure process as convenient as possible, while ensuring it has the proper controls.
If a mail-in ballot is not counted due to a challenged signature, does that voter have the option to vote in person at any point? Will voters be able to confirm that their ballot has been received and counted prior to election day?
In Colorado, if a judge isn't able to make a signature match between the mail ballot envelope signature + the signature on the voter registration record, the voter will receive a notification to "cure" their signature. They can do so by email, text (new), or coming in person. We notify the voters right away that they need to take action (cure their signature) to have their ballot count. We encourage voters to sign up for Ballot Track to get notified right away.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:20 AM on October 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
= = =
Yesterday afternoon, Molly Fitzpatrick, the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder and Ricky Hatch, the Weber County Clerk and Auditor did a Reddit AMA on mail-in and early voting. Signature matching came up a few times:
Is there a way to see what my signature looks like in registration data? Where would I go to find that?
You'll probably want to ask your local election official - this functionality varies by system. Many systems hold more than one signature per voter. If you have concerns that your signature on file might be different than your current signature, ask them how you can update it. It may very well require going through the registration process again.
Regardless, rest assured that if your signature does not match, you'll be notified and given a chance to make things right and have your vote counted. And, in these cases, your election official will most likely update your signature so you don't have this problem in future elections.
...later...
For ballots that are "rejected," because of scribbled/missing signatures, please know that we will contact the voter and give them a chance to "cure" or remedy the situation, so their vote will be counted. Unfortunately, many people end up not fixing it, for whatever reason. We try to make that cure process as convenient as possible, while ensuring it has the proper controls.
If a mail-in ballot is not counted due to a challenged signature, does that voter have the option to vote in person at any point? Will voters be able to confirm that their ballot has been received and counted prior to election day?
In Colorado, if a judge isn't able to make a signature match between the mail ballot envelope signature + the signature on the voter registration record, the voter will receive a notification to "cure" their signature. They can do so by email, text (new), or coming in person. We notify the voters right away that they need to take action (cure their signature) to have their ballot count. We encourage voters to sign up for Ballot Track to get notified right away.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:20 AM on October 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
As someone who just completed poll worker training in NY, it's basically up to the worker's discretion in comparing signatures. We were not trained on *how* to compare, just 'check to make sure they match' but yes, voters can submit an affidavit ballot if challenged.
posted by greta simone at 10:05 AM on October 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by greta simone at 10:05 AM on October 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
A couple of other useful resources. ACLU: Signature Match Laws Disproportionately Impact Voters Already on the Margins. And Election Law Journal: Signature Verification and Mail Ballots: Guaranteeing Access While Preserving Integrity—A Case Study of California's Every Vote Counts Act.
Signature matching is a subjective mess. Expect it to be a huge point of contention in any close elections this year.
posted by Nelson at 1:23 PM on October 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Signature matching is a subjective mess. Expect it to be a huge point of contention in any close elections this year.
posted by Nelson at 1:23 PM on October 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just wanted to chime in and say that I've had to verify my signature. I got an email and was able to email back, I think a photo of my signature, and then my vote was counted. It's only happened once so far, but I do put my email on the outside of my ballot (next to my signature) so that it's easy to solve if it comes up again.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:50 PM on October 19, 2020
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:50 PM on October 19, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by saeculorum at 10:49 PM on October 7, 2020 [1 favorite]