How Can You “cure” a Rejected Newsletter?

Given the record number of votes cast by mail in the upcoming elections, the ballot counting process will look a little different this year. Even before that, there is a possibility that some ballots may be rejected due to errors or omissions.

In an effort to avoid this scenario, voter advocacy groups across the district are battling time to help voters correct their ballots and ensure they are counted. This process is called “balancing the bulletins,” and here’s what you need to know about it.

What does the bulletin treat?

Despite the terminology that sounds like “fixing” the elections, in fact, the opposite is true: the goal of correcting the ballots is to make the elections more fair. Bulletin processing is the process of correcting bulletins that were sent with some kind of error.

So what mistakes are we talking about? According to Keith Meyer, founder and CEO of social group ” Friends vote together”, which, among other things, helps to facilitate the correction of bulletins, they range from filling neglect or signature required part of their ballot paper or envelope to forget to get a witness signature (which is required in some states for postal / early / absentee voting) in case of a discrepancy between the signature of the voter on the dossier and the signature on the ballot.

States with a “correction period” allow voters to correct errors on ballots through a “correction process.” And like most other aspects of voting and elections, ballot correction policies vary from state to state. For example, “not all states that have correction periods are required to notify you when your newsletter needs to be corrected,” Mayer tells Lifehacker. “So always keep track of your newsletter after you submit it!”

When a voter is notified of a problem with their ballot, they are also given instructions and the deadline for validating the ballot is theirs, which again varies from state to state and can vary considerably. In Arizona, for example, voters can correct their signatures before the fifth business day after an election, and in Montana until 8:00 pm on election day to correct their ballot. In most states, this includes providing your local election commission with an additional signature, while Colorado and New Jersey also require voters to fill out forms as part of the process.

According to human rights organizations Voting of The , to pandemic COVID-19 in 18 states have laws were adopted on the notification and treatment , and for at least another 12 states (plus Washington DC) they will be taken to 3 November. The laboratory is right .

How does the newsletter treatment work?

Voters will be notified by letter, telephone, or email if they are registered with the states required to inform people if their ballot is in error. “This process will vary greatly from state to state, but this letter, email, or phone call should explain what the treatment process is for your state,” says Mayer. This includes information on what voters must do to ensure that their vote is counted, as well as a deadline for action.

Voter advocacy organizations such as Friends Vote Together and Common Cause provide volunteers with the names and contact information of misspelled voters that need to be corrected in order for their vote to count. District Election Commissions mark ballots in need of correction and put them in databases available to Democratic and Republican parties at the national and state levels, as well as several nonpartisan and nonprofit groups, Mayer said. “These are groups that volunteer to help and educate voters,” she adds.

What is the significance of correcting ballots in an election?

Quite large, actually. Some 318,700 mailed ballots were rejected in the 2016 general election, according to the US Election Promotion Commission . That number appears to be on the rise, with over 550,000 ballots from across the country rejected in the presidential primaries earlier this year, NPR reported . “To put it simply: Disqualified ballots that were not recorded can affect the election results, especially in states where the race is very high, such as North Carolina and Florida,” explains Mayer.

Is it too late to volunteer to help correct the ballots?

No. In fact, Meyer says North Carolina, Arizona, Iowa and Nevada need additional volunteers. “Volunteers help connect with voters to warn them that there is a flaw in their ballot that needs to be corrected and how to do it,” she explains. “Without the help of these volunteers, voters may not know their ballot will be disqualified.”

All volunteers work remotely and can do so from any state, not just where they live and / or are registered to vote, and receive training before their first shift.

How do I sign up for volunteering?

If you are interested in volunteering to participate in the bulletin correction process, there are several ways you can do this. The easiest is to get involved with organizations like Friends Vote Together, whichallows users to sign up for volunteer shifts in the states that need help the most. Alternatively, Common Cause has a coalition of volunteers to defend the elections. After registering on their website, the volunteers will be contacted and provided with information on the options available to defend the elections.

Another option is to run locally. “A good first step is to contact your local electoral office and ask if they’re looking for volunteers,” Megan Lewis, executive director of the Voting Rights Lab , told VICE . “State political parties and local organizations may also have ballot treatment groups, but this will depend on the state.” If your state does not have a “notify and heal” policy, you can always volunteer through organizations that refer you to states that welcome your time and effort.