***Updated 10/26***Important info for Ohio Voters: New absentee/early voting directive

[Ms. Toad]

Last edited Fri Oct 26, 2012, 07:58 PM - Edit history (1)

New Information on correcting Voter ID Envelopes with errors

SOS Husted issued a modified directive on 10/23.

Boards of Election will still use the mail to notify absentee voters who mail or drop off paper absentee ballots if their voter ID has an error in it - But those voter may now also respond by mail instead of having to appear in person at the BOE.

If you received a notice telling you that you were required to show up in person to correct your voter ID (1) call and ask if you are permitted to mail it in - the answer should be yes, regardless of when you received the notice and (2) if you are willing to provide me with details, DUmail me and I will make sure it is reported to OFA so they can follow up and make sure the BOE changes their practice going forward - and (preferably) sends a second notice to others who received a notice that is now incorrect.

Original Post (Since part of it is still valid)

SOS Husted issued a directive on 10/3 that anyone using a mail-in paper ballot MUST know about:

If there is an error in the voter ID fields on the absentee envelope, the ballot will not be counted at all unless the voter corrects it in person at the board of elections (with the exception of voters with disabilities, and overseas military personnel).

The notice must inform the voter that in order for the voter’s absentee ballot to be valid and tabulated, the voter must appear in person at the main office of the board of elections during the uniform days and hours for in-person absentee voting (see Directive 2012-35), between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, or during the Board’s normal weekday business hours from November 7, 2012 through November 16, 2012, except as provided in Paragraph D below.

If the correction is made before election day, the ballot will be counted as a regular early voting/absentee ballot.

So - Double, triple, quadruple check your voter ID envelope to make sure it is complete and correct. Have a friend check it. If you use your drivers license, make sure you use the number that is labeled "License No." rather than the one directly above your picture.

If you get a notice from your BOE, go correct it before election day. If you are disabled - make the come to you.

Organizing for America is aware of this issue (I reported it to them when it hit the local board of elections I was observing and they were forced to rescind their policy which permitted the correction to be mailed in. I suspect OFA also received a copy of the directive and were already studying what to do)

While I have your attention -

For the first time ever Husted mailed absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the state. Some people believed it was a caging operation and returned the form to prevent being kicked off the registration rolls. Once that form was returned, it set into motion a process that means the ONLY non-provisional way you can vote is by using the ballot that will be sent to you. You cannot vote early with a different ballot except provisionally, you cannot vote on election day at the polls (except provisionally). Make sure if you mailed the form - or if you received a paper ballot from your BOE - that you use that ballot to vote so that your vote is counted on election day.

[JamesL2012]

1. Thing to do

Vote early and vote often!!!

[Ms. Toad]

2. Yes - but make sure the voter ID is correct!!!

ETA: the "yes" was to the voter early, not the vote often.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Those are Republican tactics.

Democratic are generally fighting to just one vote counted.

[progressivebydesign]

3. Did info get to the DUer whose Dad had his ballot returned yesterday? trying to find the thread nt

[Ms. Toad]

5. I posted there first -

I've been posting this information all over since I learned about it as an official observer in my county.

That person's thread prompted me to start a second thread where people who weren't reading through the replies in that thread might notice it.

[LisaL]

6. Very useful info, thanks.

Do you know how long it takes for them to send you a letter about there being mistakes with your absentee vote?

By the way, I see that SOS Husted is working overtime again.

[Ms. Toad]

8. That, I don't know.

If you walk your ballot in, they should check it and let you know immediately. If you mail it, the practices probably vary depending on how well staffed the office is.

The directive came out 10/3. The Medina County BOE changed their policy on 10/9 - they had a policy of permitting mailed corrections and are not happy they had to change it. This is the first specific instance I have heard of anyone actually getting a letter. If that gives you any idea of timing.

Husted is being a royal jerk. This is clearly deliberate suppression - can you imagine grannie and grampa in Florida for the winter, or college students away from school who left their registration here receiving the letter that they have to come home to correct things or their vote won't be counted?

[LisaL]

9. I believe that Husted is working hard to deliver OH to Romney.

But grannie and grampa in FL are not necessarily Obama voters, so he might end up shooting himself in the foot with some of these ballots.

[Ms. Toad]

11. But the college students likely are -

They have a choice as to where to register to vote. I have told my (Ohio) daughter to encourage her friends in solidly blue states or solidly red states to register here - BUT my advice would be the opposite if she had gone out of state to college - leave your registration at home in Ohio.

[LisaL]

14. I am guessing elderly are more prone to make a mistake on their identification envelop.

College students are used to taking tests so they are less likely to make some mistake.

[Ms. Toad]

20. Yes, but this time of year they are also brain dead...

[LisaL]

21. If they are brain dead they are probably not bothering to vote.

[jaysunb]

7. There MUST be a law or there ought

to be one, to address this blatant voter suppression scheme.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Here's the law on corrections

O.R.C. 3509.04(A) If a director of a board of elections receives an application for absent voter’s ballots that does not contain all of the required information, the director promptly shall notify the applicant of the additional information required to be provided by the applicant to complete that application.

You will notice it does not require a voter to correct it in person, but it also doesn't say they can't be required to correct it in person, so it will come down to whether the courts agree with how Husted implemented the law.

OFA is aware of this. What I know they are doing, for now, is watching to see how many people it impacts, and where. The ballots won't vanish (at least not legally) so the directive is something which could be challenged after the fact, if need be.

[LisaL]

12. Shouldn't he be taken to court right now?

The election is almost here.

[Ms. Toad]

18. I'm not sure what the reasoning it -

or that they aren't taking action now.

But - it may be a matter of resources. Fighting the polling hours (and voter ID) were critical to do before the election, since both would have kept people from voting.

Now, the emphasis is on getting voters who have requested absentee ballots to return them (since many were likely requested accidentally- that is a lot of person-power that may make a difference on election night).

For Husted's latest tactic to impact you, you had to turn in a ballot (so it is already there, and required by law to be preserved) and make a mistake (a relatively small percentage) on the voter ID form.

If there isn't enough person-power to do both, I would focus on getting more people to the polls and worry later about the few that are there that are recoverable.

That is just what my thinking would be.

[zingrr]

13. Republican Governor's Are Purging Disabled Adults From Medicaid

Ohio wake up...thousands of 100% disabled adults 18-64 have been purged from medicaid...

FL Gov Rick Scott is avg 3000 a month! Cost per $100k per year....

Do the math

5000 purged x $100k = $500,000,000 in savings = a lot of dying and really sick people...

[Ms. Toad]

15. Medicaid is not the test for voting disability n/t

[Maeve]

16. And CHECK THE POSTAGE!!

Many counties in Ohio (including Franklin, Columbus' county) have ballots too heavy for ONE stamp. If you are mailing it in, make sure you have the right postage for the weight. (Franklin Co requires--if I remember correctly--65 cents)

[LisaL]

17. They sure make us jump through hoops, don't they?

[Ms. Toad]

19. For the two counties I know of it costs $1.30 n/t

[Petrushka]

24. $1.30 for Fairfield. (eom)

[Marthe48]

22. Thanks! -- posted the link on Facebook

nt

[Ms. Toad]

23. Great! n/t

[lindysalsagal]

25. My head is spinning.

Didn't the voting rights act prohibit this kind of crap?