(3) Inability to travel to the polls if the voter is a resident of a coastal island ward or precinct; or (b) As used in this section and section 9-150c, designee means (1) a person who is caring for the applicant because of the applicant's illness or physical disability, including but not limited to, a licensed physician or a registered or practical nurse, (2) a member of the applicant's family, who is designated by an absentee ballot applicant and who consents to such designation, or (3) if no such person consents or is available, then a police officer, registrar of voters, deputy registrar of voters or assistant registrar of voters in the municipality in which the applicant resides.[3]. Research: Josh Altic Vojsava Ramaj A voter is eligible to receive assistance in marking the ballot, as provided by this subchapter, if the voter cannot prepare the ballot because of: (1) a physical disability that renders the voter unable to write or see; or. By: Henry Redman - July 8, 2022 9:47 am. 722.2 A duly registered voter shall apply to vote by emergency absentee ballot according to the following procedure: (a) The registered voter shall, by signed affidavit on a form provided by the Board, set forth: (1) The reason why he or she is unable to be present at the polls on the day of the election; and. And no matter where you are in the Susquehanna Valley, you can drop off your mail-in ballot in person at your county's election office. Be Proactive. The auditor or business manager of the school district, as the case The ballot must reach the clerk or an authorized assistant of the clerk before the close of the polls on election day. As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a voter. (4) An incapacity or illness that has resulted in the voter's being unable to leave home or a treatment facility. (a) A voter who receives the ballot by mail, as provided in subsection (a) of section ninety-one B, may return it by mail to the city or town clerk in the envelope provided pursuant to subsection (d) of section eighty-seven, or such voter or a family member may deliver it in person to the office of the city or town clerk. Laws allowing ballot collection make voting more convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud. [3], Utah law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters. Other states allow you to give your ballot to anyone you choose. An elector who is confined to a hospital on a primary or election day to whom an absentee ballot is delivered by the registrar or absentee ballot clerk shall then and there vote the ballot, seal it properly, and return it to the registrar or absentee ballot clerk. Other states, like California, allow for a ballot to submitted by anyone chosen by the voter as long as they are not paid per ballot they collect. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) The Associated Press. Former President Donald Trump and others argued that ballot collection, often pejoratively called ballot harvesting," increased the risk that someone would try to illegally vote on someone elses behalf or coerce them to vote a certain way. the county clerk by United States mail or by depositing the ballot at the office of the county clerk, at SF568 established that "no person other than the registered voter, an individual who lives in the same household as the registered voter, an immediate family member of the registered voter or a delivery agent acting on behalf of a registered voter who is unable to return the registered voter's own ballot due to reason of blindness or other disability" can return a completed absentee/mail-in ballot (a delivery agent is defined as "an individual registered to vote in this state who has been designated to return a completed absentee ballot by another registered voter who is unable to return the registered voter's own absentee ballot due to reason of blindness or other disability;" an immediate family member is defined as "an individual related to a registered voter within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity"). sign the agent's name before receiving the ballot and deposit with the auditor or A candidate for office at an election may not act as a representative for a voter in the election.". Am I allowed to drop off a ballot for someone else? Political groups and campaigns from both parties have run ballot-collection programs with the goal of boosting turnout and helping older, homebound, disabled or rural voters get their ballots returned. the political subdivision conducting the election, one official ballot, or personally deliver Can I still drop off my mail-in ballot at a drop box? 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Many of these laws specify that household members, caregivers, and/or family members may return ballots. Click on the state name for more details on its law. [3], KRS 117.255 contains the following: "Except for those voters who have been certified as requiring assistance on a permanent basis, no voter shall be permitted to receive any assistance in voting at the polls unless he makes and signs an oath that, because of blindness, other physical disability, or an inability to read English, he is unable to vote without assistance. WILL Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber said, "We can expect significant interest in absentee voting in 2020. Illinois law allows vote-by-mail ballots to be delivered in person by any person the voter authorizes or by a company licensed as a motor carrier of property by the state. Other states allow you to give your ballot to anyone you choose. (1) An authorized agent may deliver applications for absentee ballots to the county clerk and obtain absentee ballots from the county clerk for not more than two (2) voters per election who cannot cast a ballot at the appropriate polling place on election day because the voter is a patient in a hospital or long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state. (2) A candidate for office at such election and any person serving on a campaign committee for such a candidate shall not act as an agent for any registered voter requesting a ballot pursuant to this section unless such person is a member of the registered voter's family. Roughly half of voters in those counties are people of color. Laws allowing ballot collection are designed to make voting more convenient, and to make it possible for people who cant travel to deliver a ballot on their own. for return to a county board of elections the absentee ballot of any voter, It also states that someone cannot serve as an agent for more than two voters. [2011, c. 534, 18 (AMD).] Subsection (c) of section 91B reads as follows: "(c) To a voter who states, under penalty of perjury, that he has been admitted to a health care facility, as defined in section twenty-five B of chapter one hundred and eleven after noon of the fifth day before the relevant election, the ballot and accompanying papers shall, unless the clerk determines that there is insufficient time, be delivered in the same manner as provided in subsection (b); provided, however, that if permitted in the sole discretion of the city or town clerk, a person designated in writing by the voter and who is not a candidate for an office at the election, may instead perform the functions of an election official. If you personally deliver your ballot, it must be returned to your registrar or drop-off location by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. WARNING The law places restrictions on who can assist eligible voters. A delivery agent who is assisting a voter who is blind or who has a disability pursuant to this section may not personally deliver more than 4 absentee ballots in any election, unless the delivery agent is a nursing home or residential care facility administrator, an administrator designee, or a family member, each as authorized by this section.[3]. days after receiving the ballot. The clerk shall inform the 3rd person of the deadline for the return of the ballot.[3]. (a) The voter's spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild; or GENERAL ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, November 8, 2022: Completed mail-in ballots must be received by your county election office by 8 p.m. Postmarked is not enough. Am I allowed to drop off a ballot for someone else? A few states require designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the authority to deliver someones ballot. To an immediate family member or to a 3rd person if the absentee ballot was requested by telephone or by electronic means; [2011, c. 534, 17 (AMD).] The oath shall be upon a voter assistance form prescribed by the State Board of Elections. A voter places a ballot in a drop box outside the Denver Elections Division headquarters easrly Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in downtown Denver. Click here to subscribe to the Ballot Bulletin and view recent issues. In New Jersey, an authorized messenger may return mail-in ballots for a voter. (b) If the voter is a resident of a nursing home as defined in RSA 151-A:1, IV, the nursing home administrator, licensed pursuant to RSA 151-A:2, or a nursing home staff member designated in writing by the administrator to deliver ballots; or You can track your absentee ballot using our absentee ballot look-up tool at the link here. (6) When the ballots are returned by the administrator in person or by mail, the county clerk shall write or stamp the word "ADMINISTRATOR" and write the administrator's name on the voter's absentee ballot return envelope. A few states require designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the authority to deliver someones ballot. For example, some states only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off your ballot for you. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. It states that "the voter shall seal his or her ballot in the plain envelope, place that plain envelope inside the affidavit envelope, complete the affidavit, have a notary public (or other officer authorized to acknowledge oaths) or two witnesses witness his or her signature to the affidavit, and forward it by United States mail to the absentee election manager or hand it to him or her in person.". may be, may not provide an absent voter's ballot to a person acting as an agent who Unless the person possessed the ballot or carrier envelope with intent to defraud the voter or the election authority, this subsection does not apply to a person who, on the date of the offense, was: (1) related to the voter within the second degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as determined under Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code; (2) physically living in the same dwelling as the voter; (3) an early voting clerk or a deputy early voting clerk; (4) a person who possesses a ballot or carrier envelope solely for the purpose of lawfully assisting a voter who was eligible for assistance under Section 86.010 and complied fully with: (B) Section 86.0051, if assistance was provided in order to deposit the envelope in the mail or with a common or contract carrier; (5) an employee of the United States Postal Service working in the normal course of the employee's authorized duties; or. (1) (A) An administrator may deliver to the county clerk an application for an absentee ballot for any voter who is a patient of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state and who authorizes the administrator to obtain an absentee ballot on his or her behalf. Drop-off locations for Bucks, Chesco, Delco, and Montco can be found online. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? As used in this section, "delivery agent" means: Tuesday, November 1, 2022: Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot. (1) A designated bearer may obtain absentee ballots for no more than two (2) voters per election. 2)A vote by mail voter who is unable to return the ballot may designate another person to return the ballot to the elections official who issued the ballot, to the precinct board at a polling place or vote center within the state, or to a vote by mail ballot dropoff location within the state that is provided pursuant to Section 3025 or 4005 . has been prepared, the county auditor, city auditor, or business manager of the school Allentown, PA 18101-2400 Phone 610-782-3194 Fax 610-770-3845. Business Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m. 13-35-703. Political groups and campaigns from both parties have run ballot-collection programs with the goal of boosting turnout and helping older, homebound, disabled or rural voters get their ballots returned. The AP is answering your questions about elections in this series. The law defines designee and immediate family member. Arizona permits a family member, household member, or caregiver to return a voter's absentee ballot. U.S. Embassy Diplomatic Pouch - You or another person can drop off your ballot request (FPCA) or completed ballot at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for return to the United States. Ballot collection prohibited -- exceptions. [3], Washington law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters.[1]. The law states the following: "No person shall serve as an authorized messenger or as a bearer for more than three qualified voters in an election. (c) The person designated as agent shall, by signed affidavit on a form prescribed by the Board, state the following: (1) That the ballot will be delivered by the voter who submitted the application for the ballot; and. In total, more than half of states have laws that explicitly allow a third party to return a completed ballot, according to a tally from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Other states dont have laws on ballot collection at all. deposited anytime in a secure drop box; On election day, absentee ballots may be returned no later than 3 p.m. to the elections office or secure drop box. One state specifies that only the voter may return their mail ballot. A voter can also designate a representative to return an emergency absentee ballot. It shall be unlawful for any person not the voter or a person authorized by the voter to take the ballot and ballot envelope of a voter for deposit into the mail unless the ballot has been issued pursuant to application by a physically incapacitated elector under Section 3-3 or a hospitalized voter under Section 19-13, in which case any employee or person under the direction of the facility in which the elector or voter is located may deposit the ballot and ballot envelope into the mail. Those who support restricting who may return mail ballots often refer to the practice of campaign and union workers returning ballots as ballot harvesting. (d) In Nevada, a person authorized by the voter may return a mail ballot at the request of a voter. (b)a United States postal service worker or other individual specifically authorized by law to transmit United States mail; (3)An individual authorized to collect a voter's ballot pursuant to subsections (2)(c) through (2)(f) may not collect and convey more than six ballots.[3]. It also states that the third person cannot have more than five absentee ballots outstanding at a time. For example, some states only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off your ballot for you. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell An Associated Press survey in May 2022 found that among states that used drop boxes in the 2020 presidential election, none reported instances of drop boxes being involved in fraud that could have affected the results. If the clerk of the county commission of any county, or any member of the board of ballot commissioners, or any member of the board of canvassers refuses or neglects to perform any of the duties required of him or her by any of the provisions of articles three, five and six of this chapter relating to voting by absentees or discloses to any other person or persons how any absent voter voted, he or she shall, in each instance, be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500, or confined in jail for not more than six months. The authorized person cannot be a candidate or paid campaign worker unless that candidate or worker is a member of the voter's immediate family. You can check your voter registration status online.You can also contact your county's election and voter registration officials, or call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772). For example, some states, like Arizona, only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off a ballot for someone else. FILE - A county worker collects a mail-in ballots in a drive-thru mail-in ballot drop off area at the Clark County Election Department in Las Vegas, Nov. 2, 2020. Other states dont have laws on ballot collection at all. It says the following: "The elector shall mail the identification envelope to the director from whom it was received in the return envelope, postage prepaid, or the elector may personally deliver it to the director, or the spouse of the elector, the father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of the elector may deliver it to the director.". That election was overturned. Register. ; Step 2: Complete and return your ballot ASAP. In Texas, a household member, relative (defined by the law) or person lawfully assisting a voter eligible for assistance due to disability or inability to read the ballot may return their mail ballot. An absent voter ballot received by the clerk or assistant of the clerk after the close of the polls on election day will not be counted. election.[3]. Giving third parties who have a stake in the outcome of an election access to voters and their absentee ballots in an unsupervised setting is not wise, and is a proven threat to the integrity of the election process. II. An agent may deliver or mail the return envelopes of not more than three voters in any election. (b) The elector may return the marked ballot to Drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally in public, high-traffic spaces. signature by mark. The purpose of this Article is to establish guidelines for security measures and procedures if a county elections official establishes one or more vote-by-mail ballot drop-off locations or vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes. (c) On the voter's request, the voter may be assisted by any person selected by the voter other than the voter's employer, an agent of the voter's employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs. Surveys after the 2020 election found that voters who cast ballots for President Joe Biden were far more likely to report voting by mail than voters for Trump. Laws allowing ballot collection make voting more convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud. Learn how you can protect yourself from election scams. Illinois law states the voter must do the following after sealing their absentee ballot in the return envelope: The voter shall then endorse his certificate upon the back of the envelope and the envelope shall be mailed in person by such voter, postage prepaid, to the election authority issuing the ballot or, if more convenient, it may be delivered in person, by either the voter or by any person authorized by the voter, or by a company licensed as a motor carrier of property by the Illinois Commerce Commission under the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law, which is engaged in the business of making deliveries. identification envelope. Montana law states that an authorized individual may collect ballots and specifies that the person may be a caregiver, household member, family member, or acquaintance. No person who is a candidate in the election for which the voter requests a mail-in ballot shall be permitted to serve as an authorized messenger or bearer. Voting by mail is a two-step process in Pennsylvania. (e)(1)A person designated to return a vote by mail ballot shall not receive any form of compensation based on the number of ballots that the person returns and an individual, group, or organization shall not provide compensation on this basis. Unable to leave home or a treatment facility designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the to... Complete and return your ballot for someone else a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York to. Complete and return your ballot ASAP siblings of a voter and return your ballot for you the! Deliver someones ballot. [ 1 ] Complete and return your ballot to drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally public. The practice of campaign and union workers returning ballots as ballot harvesting learn you... States that the third person can not have more than two ( 2 ) voters per election for,! Convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase of. 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