Absentee ballot confusing? Here are some answers

/jaime: edited/So, your ballot arrived in the mail. A serious-looking, weighty packet — fitting for what’s probably the most important election in a long time. Certainly the most dramatic.

A little nervous? Understandable. It’s not rocket science but no one wants their vote rejected, and experts say first-time absentee voters have the greatest chance of screwing up something. And this year, courtesy of a pandemic, there are more greenhorn mail-in voters than ever.

Adding to the angst: Those packets contain some conflicting instructions, mostly because of pre-printing that occurred before coronavirus inspired changes.

To sort through it all — Envelope A, Envelope B, instruction sheet, return envelope, sigh — we did some research and talked to Christopher Piper, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections.

Piper says a record 1.1 million Virginians have requested absentee ballots for the upcoming election. And there’s still nearly two weeks to go until the Oct. 23 deadline for asking.

Some good news: The general assembly, realizing that this process is unfamiliar for a whole lot of folks already stressed by the pandemic, has directed registrars to give absentee voters a chance to correct mistakes that would normally send a ballot to the shredder.

Bottom line: Registrars are supposed to call you within three days so you can come “cure” your ballot.

But while unrestricted absentee voting is here to stay — no more excuses necessary, thanks to a law that took effect July 1 — this is the only election so far where voters will get that kind of shot at a do-over.

Getting it right the first time will save a lot of headaches.

At the heart of your packet: A ballot just like everyone at your polling place will be handed. A water-mark seal on the back vouches for its authenticity.

Witness requirement

The instruction sheet says — at least at the top— that if you’re concerned about your safety (as in, catching coronavirus) you can skip the traditional requirement of having a witness.

But Envelope A, which contains your ballot, has a warning on both sides: “Do not open except in the presence of a witness.”

And Envelope B, which has your voter statement on the back, asks you to sign under oath, subject to a felony penalty, that a witness watched you open Envelope A and mark your ballot.

What gives?

Like most states, Virginia has long required a witness for absentee ballots — anyone at least 18 and not your employer — as an added layer of protection against fraud.

But finding a witness during a pandemic could put isolating people at risk. A federal lawsuit plus state legislation passed during the special session in Richmond led to a temporary waiver of the requirement.

Confusion arises, though, because portions of the packets were preprinted by localities months or even years ago, using language that’s dictated by state code.

Last month, Virginia’s Republican Party filed a motion in federal court complaining that too many voters haven’t gotten the message clearly.

Bottom line: No witness is required for this election.

Naked ballots

Naked ballots are a no-no in Virginia, one of 16 states that require mail-in votes to be cloaked in some kind of “secrecy sleeve" to protect privacy.

That’s where Envelope B comes in again. Blank on the front, with your voter statement on the back — an oath that you are who you say you are, etc — this is the clothing for your ballot.

Registrars check the information on the voter statement against their records before opening Envelope B, a preprocessing step that helps get a jump on the workload.

When the time comes to feed voting machines, Envelope B will be opened and separated from the ballot inside. Election officers — one from each party plus a third observer — will watch as ballots are unfolded, kept face down and placed into the machine.

Bottom line: Envelope B is a must-do. Place your ballot inside, fill out the form on the back and sign.

Return envelope

A pre-addressed return envelope is provided. Envelope B goes inside that.

The return envelope has two bar codes. The one above the registrar’s address where your ballot is heading can be used to track it through the postal system. The bar code above your home address is linked to your name and information in the registrar’s records. It’s scanned before anything gets opened, your ballot’s first check in.

It’s a little thing, but in your packet you’ll encounter two reminders to “add the correct postage” before mailing.

But the return envelope already has a stamp.

Again, a preprinting problem.

The price of those stamps was covered by a $2 million bill passed in September.

Bottom line: Make sure you use that return envelope but there’s no need to scrounge up a stamp.

Despite some of the snafus, Piper has confidence in the system’s ability to handle the unprecedented flood. Incidents like the one in Northern Virginia, where at least 1,400 voters received duplicate absentee ballots, will straighten themselves out, he said.

Safeguards — records and cross-checks — make it so “no voter can cast more than one ballot that gets counted,” Piper said.

Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by noon Nov. 6. They can also be hand delivered to registrar’s offices, placed in designated drop boxes or even brought to polling places on Nov. 3.

As of Thursday afternoon, 371,103 had already been filled out by voters, turned in and accepted.

For more guidance or to request a ballot, go to elections.virginia.gov.

Joanne Kimberlin, 757-446-2338, joanne.kimberlin@pilotonline.com

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