More than 100,000 Mail-In Ballots were Rejected by California Election Officials during the March Presidential Primary. The Data didn’t break down the Uncounted Ballots by Party Registration.
With the Coronavirus Pandemic, California is part of a growing number of States increasing Mail-In Balloting to avoid Crowds at Polling Places.
While Polling Places include Workers who can Assist Voters who have questions about filling out Ballots, Voters doesn’t have that support at Home and so Problems can arise. This shows how important Voter Education will be for November's General Election, and a System to notify Voter's early so they can fix the Problems.
The California Secretary of State’s Election Data showed 102,428 Mail-In Ballots were Disqualified in the State’s 58 Counties, about 1.5% of the nearly 7 Million Mail-In Ballots Returned. That percentage is the Highest in a Primary since 2014, and the overall number is the Highest in a Statewide Election since 2010. Two years ago, the National Average of Rejected Mail Ballots in the General Election was about 1.4% and in the 2016 Presidential Election year it was 1%, according to a U.S. Election Assistance Commission Study.
The most common Problem in California was Missing the Deadline for the Ballot to be Mailed and Returned in time to be Counted. To Count in the Election, Ballots must be Postmarked On or Before Election Day and Received within Three Days afterward. Statewide, 70,330 Ballots Missed those Marks. This is why we need Secure Drop Boxes in All States with the Problems the U.S. Postal System is having Delivering the Mail on Time. Another 27,525 either didn’t have a Signature, or the Signature didn’t Match the one on Record for the Voter.
California traditionally has offered Mail-In Voting Only to those who Request Ballots. Over time, the Number has grown to represent more than Half of All Cast Ballots. In response to the Coronavirus Outbreak, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), in June Signed a Law requiring County Election Officials to Mail a Ballot to All the State’s nearly 21 Million Registered Voters for the November Election.
I think this is Wrong. States should use the Request-a-Ballot Option to use the Undelivered Mailings as a Tool to Clean their Voter Rolls.
In preparation for November, the State is Launching a Ballot-Tracking Tool that will quickly Alert Voters if they need to take action, such as adding a Missing Signature. Another Change is to Extend the window for Mail Ballots to Arrive to 17 days after Election Day.
For the March, 2019, Election:
- The Highest Rejection Rate in California was in San Francisco, where 9,407 Ballots, or nearly 5% of the Total, were set aside, mostly because they did Not Arrive on Time.
- In Rural Plumas County Northeast of Sacramento, all of the 8,207 Mail-In Ballots Received were Accepted.
- In Los Angeles County, nearly 2,800 Ballots were Nullified because the Voter Forgot to Sign it, then couldn’t be Found to Fix the Error. Statewide, that Careless Mistake spiked nearly 13,000 Ballots.
- More than 1,000 Ballots were Disqualified in Fresno County because the Signature didn’t Match the One on File with Election Officials.
- The Same Problem nixed over 1,300 Ballots in San Diego County, and over 14,000 Statewide. In some of those Cases, Voting Experts say, a Family Member might have Signed for Others in the Household, which is Illegal.
- Some Voters apparently Filled-Out their Ballots then left them on the kitchen table.
- In more than 800 instances, Envelopes were Returned to Election Officials without the Marked Ballot Inside.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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