Arguments for and against restricting who may return mail ballots, Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, Election Administration Legislation Tracker, Election legislation tracking: weekly digest, Election legislation tracking: list of sub-topics, Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Ballot_harvesting_(ballot_collection)_laws_by_state&oldid=9078999, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections, Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments, We translate bill text into summaries that are easy-to-digest everyday language, And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan. (NEXSTAR) - For many voters, election day comes with the same work, school and other demands of a normal Tuesday. These laws vary by state. ", Hawaii law does not specify whether someone may return a mail ballot on behalf of someone else. paragraph (b) of this subsection not later than two The law defines designee and immediate family member. Instead, you can drop it off in the location in your jurisdiction. In a 6-3 ruling, the court held that the law did not violate the Voting Rights Act and was not enacted with a racially discriminatory purpose. Other terms used to reference this practice include ballot collection, community ballot collection, ballot gathering, third-party possession of another's ballot, and ballot return. Election security experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes. C. To a 3rd person who already has been issued 5 absentee ballots for voters in the municipality, until the 3rd person has returned one of those ballots; or [2011, c. 399, 23 (NEW).] cannot provide a signed, written authorization from an applicant. Contact the Absentee and Petition Office at 907-270-2700, toll free 1-877-375-6508 (within in the U.S.) . Due to a recent change in law, New York State voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have already been issued an absentee ballot for that election. [1], Wyoming law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters.[1]. 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. 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. relative or the voter's verifiable legal guardian.". A few states require designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the authority to deliver someones ballot. 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 . you can drop off your ballot at any in-person voting location in the country . Sometimes a voter may be unable to return the ballot in person or get it to a postal facility in time for it to be counted. Or, email akabsentee@alaska.gov. One of the two questions presented in the case was whether Arizona's ballot collection law violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act or the Fifteenth Amendment. 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. Can I drop off my voted absentee by-mail ballot? county clerk, at the designated place of deposit or (2) At no time shall an authorized agent have more than two (2) absentee ballots in his or her possession. For more information, click here. The ballot must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. The below map features the location of all drop boxes (board of elections offices) around Ohio: Athens County: 15 S. Court St., Athens (drop boxes located at front and back entrances) Cuyahoga County: 2925 Euclid Ave., Cleveland; 2nd ballot drop-off site located nearby at 3100 Chester Ave., Cleveland. Laws in the following 12 states place limits on how many ballots a person may return on others' behalf or on how many voters for whom one may return ballots. 13-35-703. In Connecticut, a designee may return the ballot of a voter who obtained an absentee ballot due to illness or disability, and an immediate family member may return a ballot for a student. The commission's three Republican members voted in favor of a motion to draft regulations around absentee ballot return, and the three Democratic members voted against it. 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. On Election Day, you can also drop off your voted absentee ballot at any polling . And a few states explicitly prohibit dropping off someone elses ballot. Only an authorized agent of the county clerk and recorder or designated election official may return more than 10 ballots. . It also states that someone cannot serve as an agent for more than two voters. New Hampshire law specifies that a voter's absentee ballot may be returned by a family member (defined by the law), nursing home administrator or staff member, or residential care facility administrator or staff member. In Kansas, a person designated in writing by the voter may return their advance ballot on their behalf. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. The law places restrictions on who can assist eligible voters. Am I allowed to drop off a ballot for someone else? 1. 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. ", State law also says that it is a class I felony for "any person to take into that person's possession for delivery to a voter or It also states that the third person cannot have more than five absentee ballots outstanding at a time. 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. Ballots must be received by the county board of elections before 8 p.m. on Election Day. The AP is answering your questions about elections in this series. 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. They are still finalizing the locations, but it appears they will include the CenturyLink Field. If an authorized representative is not available, a deputy sheriff or constable may deliver and return the emergency ballot. (4)shall execute an affidavit under penalty of perjury that the ballot was: (i)delivered to the voter who submitted the application; (ii)marked and placed in an envelope by the voter, or with assistance as allowed by regulation, in the agent's presence; and, (iii)returned to the local board by the agent.[3]. There have been a number of states that have limited the use of ballot drop boxes since the 2020 election. WHAT'S CHANGED: They can't drop off very many. Each ballot envelope has a unique identifier associated with each voter, which ensures that elections officials only count one ballot per person even if someone were to put multiple ballots in a drop box, or try to flood a drop box with fake ballots, she said. The written requirement is waived for voters with a disability preventing them from writing. (g) An offense under Subsection (f) is a Class A misdemeanor unless the defendant possessed the ballot or carrier envelope without the request of the voter, in which case it is a felony of the third degree. (e) A ballot must be received at the office of the 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. The authorization must be given in writing on a form prescribed by the State Election Commission and must be turned in to the board of voter registration and elections at the time the envelope is returned. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. In California, voters can choose someone else to drop off their ballot as long as that person isn't paid by the ballot to do so, according to the National Conference of State. b. Delivering it, or causing it to be delivered, to the Department before the polls close on the day of the election.". In Missouri, an absentee ballot may be returned in person by a relative (defined by the law) or by a team of election authorities. Return of ballot by 3rd person. Research: Josh Altic Vojsava Ramaj As used in this section, "delivery agent" means: Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker. Only an immediate family member may hand-deliver more than one ballot. for return to a county board of elections the absentee ballot of any voter, In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. The law also specifies that an individual assisting a voter who is blind or has a disability may return an absentee ballot upon signing a statement on the affidavit envelope and that such individual may not return more than four ballots unless they are a family member, nursing home administrator/staff, or residential care facility administrator/staff. Such drop boxes can now only be used if staff from a municipal clerk's office is able to keep an eye on it. We have answers There are four elections offices in Hillsborough County that will be available for voters to drop their ballots off as early as 7 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Click here for more on support and opposition arguments. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Massachusetts law permits a family member to return an absentee ballot on behalf of a voter. The oath shall be upon a voter assistance form prescribed by the State Board of Elections. "[13], Four commission members are appointed by the four state legislative leaders and two are appointed by the governor. In the case of voters who are physically incapacitated or hospitalized, an employee of the facility the voter is in may place the ballot in the mail. WILL Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber said, "We can expect significant interest in absentee voting in 2020. Laws allowing ballot collection make voting more convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud. Step 6. (a) The voter's spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandchild, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild; or But the Wisconsin Elections Commission should make clear that it is the responsibility and right of voters, not third parties, to request and submit ballots. Drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally in public, high-traffic spaces. All rights reserved. For example, some states, like Arizona, only allow caregivers,. As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a voter. Mail ballots take the form of absentee ballots and ballots cast in vote-by-mail states. Returning ballots for others is known as ballot collection or, pejoratively, "ballot harvesting." In Pennsylvania, a voter who qualifies for an emergency absentee ballot may authorize in writing a representative to return their ballot. Can I drop off someone else's ballot in a ballot drop box (such as my spouse or friend's ballot)? South Dakota law states that an authorized messenger may deliver a voter's absentee ballot and that a messenger for more than one voter must notify the person in charge of the election of all voters they are the messenger for. ", Mississippi law does not specify whether someone may return absentee ballots on voters' behalf.[1]. According to the law, "The voter may designate an agent to deliver in person the sealed absentee ballot return envelope to the county auditor or municipal clerk or to deposit the return envelope in the mail. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; Communications: Alison Graves Carley Allensworth Abigail Campbell Sarah Groat Caitlin Vanden Boom Biden has threatened to veto the bill, which would repeal an investment policy that took effect earlier this year that Republicans call woke capitalism., 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. (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]. I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I PROVIDE FALSE INFORMATION ON THIS FORM, I MAY BE GUILTY OF PERJURY AND SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000) OR IMPRISONMENT FOR UP TO TEN (10) YEARS, OR BOTH, UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS.". Any person who makes a false certification violates the provisions of article nine of this chapter and is subject to those provisions.". (d) You may request by telephone that the clerk who issued the ballot provide assistance in returning the ballot. 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. receive compensation, including money, goods, or services, for acting as an agent for (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. In Indiana, an absentee ballot may be returned by a voter's household member or attorney in fact. "[11], On June 17, the Wisconsin Elections Commission approved the letter that accompanied absentee ballot applications that went to most voters ahead of the general election. Justice Samuel Alito delivered the majority opinion of the court. or at any location described in ORS 254.472 or 100% remote. Here's How Mail-In and Absentee Ballots Are Verified, Your Choice. How do I return my ballot?. See our page, Arguments for and against restricting who may return mail ballots, for detailed support and opposition arguments from a variety of sources. Each polling place also has a drop box available on Election Day for voters to return their absentee ballots. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a person may not knowingly collect a voter's voted or unvoted ballot. Vote in person: Yes, Maricopa County voters who received a mail-in ballot can actually vote in person. All forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes are frequently placed in. Massachusetts law permits a family member can drop it off in the country election experts... Verifiable legal guardian. `` who issued the ballot have been a number of states that limited... States that have limited the use of ballot drop boxes instead, you can drop it off in country... By a voter than 10 ballots eligible voters. 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