Even before a global pandemic complicated in-person activities, many Americans were voting by mail. in 2016, nearly a quarter of all votes cast in presidential elections (33 million) were absentee ballots. this year, it’s expected to be much more: About 80 million mail-in ballots are expected to arrive.
But what happens to the mail-in ballot once it reaches the county elections office?
As with everything with us elections, it depends on the state. this year, things are even more complex: regulations are still being changed as a result of a large number of lawsuits that try to expand access to voting or make it stricter, with more security measures.
processing and tabulation
Once the ballots are received, it is recorded. the process for doing this may differ by state and county. For example, in Inyo County, rural California, where the overwhelming majority of people are expected to vote by mail, votes are first divided based on how they arrived at the election office, either by mail, through from a mailbox or taken to the election office. electoral office by the voter. ballots are often barcoded, so once each ballot has been processed, voters can check its status online.
In most states, signatures and addresses (which appear on the outer envelope containing another anonymous ballot envelope) are verified when the ballots are received or begin on a specific date within weeks of the choice. if the signature on the ballot is absent or does not match county records, the ballot is rejected.
Many states have the option to “cure” ballots with missing or mismatched information, so instead of rejecting them outright, they contact voters for more information and to see if the vote can be accepted. Voters who are tracking their ballots and see them rejected or challenged should contact their county office to learn about their options.
Dawn Barger, director of voter access for the us vote foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides voter support and information, says one thing is clear from talking to election officials across the country: it really is. they want people to be able to vote, so they work hard to help voters curate the ballot, if possible. “election officials are doing everything they can,” she says.
Mismatched signatures are one of the most common reasons why ballots that arrived by the deadline are challenged or rejected. others are for not filling out the ballot correctly or sending the ballot in the wrong envelope.
store and count
once the ballots have been verified, three things can happen depending on the state: the ballots are opened and prepared for counting; they are opened and counted; or they don’t open until election day.
Whether prepared in advance or at the time of counting, the envelope containing the ballot is removed from the signed envelope in a manner that ensures voter anonymity. Since the process is done by hand, it can be time-consuming and most election offices only have a handful of employees.
Kammi Foote, the Inyo County Clerk, Registrar and Registrar of Voters, says that in order to keep up with the rush of ballots during election season, work hours extend well beyond office hours.
States that allow early counting do so at very different times: in some cases, weeks before Election Day, in others, only when the polls open. In all cases, the ballots are kept locked in a special place, in the electoral office premises or in another government building, until they are ready to be counted. the count takes place in a public forum, where an audience that includes volunteers, party representatives and the media can verify the fairness of the process.
“I’m a temporary custodian [of the ballots],” says foote, who emphasizes the importance of transparency to maintain voter confidence, “but the voting process itself belongs to the people.”
Of course, being able to process votes before Election Day drastically shortens the wait for results and means that mail-in voting results (which are kept secret until polls close) can be revealed without delay. this is especially important in swing states, which can decide the presidential election. this year especially, with the increased volume of mail-in voting, the wait for results can be long.
currently, georgia, iowa, michigan, minnesota, nevada, pennsylvania, and wisconsin are states identified as key to the outcome of the presidential election where the count will not begin until election day (and in wisconsin and minnesota, it will not begin until the polls close).
some states have a one or two week window to accept ballots that are postmarked before the election but received after, so those ballots then count.
If absentee ballots delay the count, it can take weeks to get a final result, even without recounts. In any event, the final counts should be ready by the Monday after the second Wednesday in December, when the Electoral College meets in Washington to cast its votes. this election, that’s December. 14.
after count
Once counted, by law all federal election ballots must be kept for at least 22 months. local boards of elections are often responsible for choosing a secure storage location, typically a government warehouse or courthouse.
After the 22 months have passed, the ballots may be destroyed. It’s up to the state to decide how to do this, but only a few, like Ohio, provide detailed instructions on how to dispose of ballots. this usually happens by shredding them or sending them to a disposal or recycling facility.