Make your absentee ballot count

by Judy Williams

Due to COVID-19, more people voted absentee ballot in the August primary. Mistakes made by voters can cause their ballot not to count. The most common mistakes causing a ballot not to count are the ballot arriving after 8 p.m. on election day, the envelope missing the ballot, unsigned voter ballot envelope, and a signature on the ballot not matching the voter’s signature on recorded at the state.

After checking with some local clerks, this reporter found the voters in our community to be careful in following absentee voting instructions.

NUMBER OF BALLOTS THAT DID NOT COUNT

Clerk Jan Kitley of Waterloo Township said, “My advice to absentee ballot voters for the November 3^rd election is return your ballot to the township in person or leave it in the drop box, and if you plan to mail your absentee ballot, mail early.”

Clerk Sally Keene of Henrietta TWP advice to voters that plan to vote by absentee ballot, but have not already made an application, “Get your application now and return it to the clerk’s office. We have a drop box at the front of our building. You can drop off your application for an absent ballot or your ballot if you do not want to mail them.”

Deputy Clerk Mandy Urquhart of Stockbridge stated, “Citizens need to make sure all of their information is included and clear on their applications for an absent ballot. We spend a lot of time making sure everything is correct. We have a drop box for applications and/or ballots you do not want to mail.”

Linda Topping, clerk of Unadilla TWP agreed with the other local clerks and added, “We can always use election workers. People should contact their local clerks to find out about the required training. You can even work the elections in precincts other than where you live.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during the week of Aug. 15, he believed Americans should be able to safely cast a ballot in-person, so long as they follow necessary social distancing protocols.

“I think if carefully done, according to the guidelines, there’s no reason that I can see why that not be the case,” he told ABC News’ Deborah Roberts during a National Geographic event.

Fauci compared the safety of casting a ballot in person to that of an in-person shopping trip to the grocery store in “counties and cities that are doing it correctly.”

Even though our local clerks are taking every precaution to make sure the polling places are safe for both residents and election inspectors, many voters will choose to vote absentee. If absent ballot voting is your choice, follow the advice of our experienced clerks. Do not make a mistake that will cause your vote not to count.