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When you get your mail ballot, be sure to fill it out on a flat dry surfaceand carefully follow the instructions that come with it.
Ballot scanners can accept only certain colors of ink and ballots that are filled out properly. Ballots can't have stray marks or multiple choices filled in for the same office.
You don't want to use red ink, marker, or anything that could be problematic. If your instructions say to use black or blue ink, use black or blue ink. If it says fill in the oval, fill in the oval. It's really critical for voters to follow the instructions more than anything.
And in some states, voters are required to seal and return their ballots in both an inner secrecy envelope and an outer envelope.
Every state requires a voter to sign an affidavit on the outside of the envelope containing their mail ballot affirming their identity and eligibility to vote, so make sure you sign in every place that requires a signature.
Thirty-one states now use signature verification to confirm the authenticity of voted ballots. In this process, election officials cross-check the signature a voter used to sign their ballot envelope to see if it matches the voter's most recent signature on file with the elections office, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or another government agency.
Signature matching adds an extra layer of security to ensure the integrity of mail ballots, but it can also lead to a greater share of ballots being challenged or rejected.
While most states will allow anyone to vote by mail in November, not all states' rules are created equal. Some states require voters to take additional steps, like having a signature from a witness, to authenticate their ballot.
Thirteen states require all or some voters to submit a copy of their photo ID with their absentee ballots, and most people in Oklahoma and Missouri who vote by mail must get their ballot envelopes notarized.
One of the most common reasons mail ballots are rejected is that they arrive too late or lack a postmark.
Out of the 40 states not sending voters a ballot in the mail in November, 31 allow voters to request their ballots by mail within seven days of the election.
This year, 26 states require ballots to be received by Election Day or the day before in order to count, while 24 states and the District of Columbia require ballots to be postmarked by Election Day or the day before. If you're in a state where a ballot must be received by Election Day, the Postal Service recommends that you put your ballot in the mail at least a week in advance.
- Business Insider
"This process of election affords a moral certainty that the office of President will seldom fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications"
–Alexander Hamilton, American Politician and Founding Father of the U.S.
from US Election Assistance Commission