How do you handle your mail-in ballots? Are the opened & counted prior to election day with results not being released until the polls close, or do you have to wait until election day or even for the polls to close to open and count?
In Virginia (I'm in Fairfax County, but I assume this is Virginia-wide), mail-in ballots are processed as soon as they come into the Office of Elections. The outside envelope is checked to make sure it's complete, and if it is, the ballot is removed and run through the scanner for counting. But none of the counts can be released until the polls close at 7 PM.
We use paper ballots, marked by hand which voters then place in the scanner to be counted. Each precinct has at least one EZVote machine. These machines have a screen that display the candidates, voters make their choices, the ballot is marked, and the voter places it in the scanner to be counted. The EZVote machines also have Braille, headphones, and, for lack of a better term, a little blower attachment that can be used by the voter to make their selections.
ID is required, but if a voter doesn't have valid ID, they can sign an ID affidavit and vote a regular ballot. If they refuse to sign the ID affidavit, they have to vote a provisional ballot.
Virginia requires in-precinct voting only, with a limited exception if the voter recently moved. There is a whole matrix that we have to use to determine whether the voter is able to vote in our precinct if their current address doesn't match their registered address.
For the first time, we have same-day registration this election, so we'll have to see how that goes...
Virginia is a challenge state, meaning that anyone, including other voters, can challenge any voter. Depending on what the challenge is, the challenged voter can sign either an ID affidavit or Confirmation of Eligibility form, at which point they'll be permitted to vote a regular ballot. If the refuse to sign the relevant form, they can only vote a provisional ballot.
We use poll pads, which are basically iPads with the most current voter rolls updated the night before the election. At check-in, the voter presents their ID, and the election officer looks them up in the poll pad. If they aren't there, they are sent to the chief or assistant chief to figure out what the issue is. If they are in the poll pad, and they weren't issued an absentee ballot, the election officer will ask them to state their full name and address. If everything matches, they are given a ballot card, they go to the ballot table to pick up a blank ballot, then to a table to vote. If the address doesn't match, they are sent to the chief or assistant chief for further assistance.
If the poll pad says they already returned an absentee ballot, they still vote a provisional ballot, if they choose. If they were sent an absentee ballot and it hasn't been returned, they have the choice of dropping the absentee ballot into the drop box or surrendering it to us to be voided, at which point they are able to vote a regular ballot in person. If they don't want to do either of those, they can only vote a provisional ballot.
Polls close promptly at 7 PM, but any voters in line are permitted to vote. Ballots in the drop box are immediately sent to the main elections office with two election officers, one Democratic, one Republican. The remaining election officers stay to do the end of night processing, which includes closing down the counting machines, reconciling ballot counts, filling out all of the requisite paper work, and then posting results for each race on the exterior door of the building. All forms need to be signed by all remaining election officers, including the chief and assistant chief, and each of the multiple envelopes have to be sealed with a label signed by two officers, one from each party. Boxes with voted ballots and unused ballots have to be sealed with tamper tape, and then a label is affixed, again signed by two election officers, once from each party.
All ballots, voted and unvoted, as well as all sealed envelopes and pouches signed by election officers are returned by the chief to one of four "depots", where they are collected and transferred to the main elections office.
For the first time this years, results will be sent electronically to the main election office
We have a drop box for mail-in ballots that people can use without entering the main voting room (gym).
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