district, as the case may be, shall send to the absent voter by mail, at the expense of (B) Absentee ballots may be delivered to the county clerk in person by the administrator or by mail. State laws vary in the details and exact application of their restrictions. (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]. Twenty-five states and D.C. allow someone chosen by the voter to return their ballot. Upon receipt of an application or written request for an absentee ballot that is accepted pursuant to section 753-A, the clerk shall immediately issue an absentee ballot and return envelope by mail or in person to the applicant or to the immediate family member or to a 3rd person designated in a written application or request made by the voter, except as provided in subsection 2. (e) Carrier envelopes may not be collected and stored at another location for subsequent delivery to the early voting clerk. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. Thirteen states do not have laws specifying whether someone may return ballots on behalf of voters. The representative shall complete a statement, subject to felony penalties for making false statements pursuant to 24.2-1016, that (i) he is the representative of the incapacitated voter; (ii) he personally delivered the ballot to the voter who applied for it; (iii) in his presence, the voter marked the ballot, the ballot was placed in the envelope provided, the envelope was sealed, and the statement on its reverse side was signed by the incapacitated voter; and (iv) the ballot was returned, under seal, to the general registrar at the registrar's office. 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. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. the ballot to the applicant or the applicant's agent, which agent may not, at that time, Apply today! The representative shall deliver the ballot and voter certificate to an election official not later than 8:00 p.m. Alaska time on election day. The law specifies that the agent may not be a candidate or member of a campaign committee unless they are a member of the voter's family. As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a voter. 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. No person shall act as agent for more than two registered voters in any election. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Vote in person: Yes, Maricopa County voters who received a mail-in ballot can actually vote in person. There will also be in-person polling sites that open Sept. 4, plus drop-off boxes, with the exact number depending where you live. Alaska law allows a representative to return an absentee ballot for a voter who qualifies for a special needs ballot and specifies who may not act as a representative. 100% remote. An election inspector looks at an absentee ballot as vote counting in the general . The law of the District of Columbia states that a voter can obtain an emergency absentee ballot due to illness, accident, or serving on a sequestered jury on Election Day, and that a designated agenteither a registered voter of their choosing or an officer of the court, in case of jury dutymay deliver the voted ballot. The law says that absentee ballots "shall be transmitted by mail or by commercial courier service, at the voter's expense, or delivered in person, or by the voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian and received by the county board not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election. The law specifies that false information provided by any of the above is subject to a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 10 years of imprisonment. 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.". (B) A designated bearer shall at no time have more than two (2) ballots in his or her possession; And a few states explicitly prohibit dropping off someone elses ballot. not later than the end of the period determined under subsection (1) of this section on the date of the Whether states should place restrictions on who may return mail ballots is the subject of debate. State law establishes that tampering with a ballot or failing to immediately deliver the ballot is a misdemeanor. However, in 2020, when the use of drop boxes spiked because of the coronavirus pandemic, some criticized the practice. ", Tennessee law does not specify whether someone may return mail ballots on behalf of voters.[1]. 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. More than half of states have laws that explicitly allow a third party to return a voted ballot. The agent cannot be a candidate for office, cannot accept compensation for acting as agent, and can serve as agent for no more than four voters. For each state below, you will find a brief summary of key points of mail ballot return laws, direct quotes from state laws with more detail, and links to the full laws, where available. These laws vary by state. 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 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. The 2016 Republican-led legislation, HB 2023, bans anyone but. Those who support restricting who may return mail ballots often refer to the practice of campaign and union workers returning ballots as ballot harvesting. Can I drop off someone else's completed mail-in ballot? [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. Tech: Matt Latourelle Nathan Bingham Ryan Burch Kirsten Corrao Beth Dellea Travis Eden Tate Kamish Margaret Kearney Eric Lotto Joseph Sanchez. Here's How Mail-In and Absentee Ballots Are Verified, Your Choice. (3) For a person who is present and knows that a person is voting an absent voter ballot to suggest or in any manner attempt to influence the absent voter on how he or she should vote. any place of deposit designated by the county clerk The ballot must reach the clerk or an authorized assistant of the clerk before the close of the polls on election day. [3], Arkansas law permits a designated bearer to return absentee ballots for up to two voters, an authorized agent to return ballots for up to two voters who are "in a hospital or long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state," and an administrator to return ballots 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.". I HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE ARKANSAS LAW. (A) Authorized agent shall show some form of current photographic identification to the clerk; 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 Legislatures (NCSL). All ballots must be received at a vote center or left in a drop box by 7 p.m. (if you . Ballotpedia features 395,443 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Or, it could go nowhere, but at least your friend will know they did all the could. Election security experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes. (2) That the ballot shall be marked by the voter and placed in a sealed envelope in the agents presence, and returned, under seal to the Board by the agent. Any such person designated by the voter shall sign a statement that such person has not exercised undue influence on the voting decisions of the voter and agrees to deliver the ballot as directed by the voter[.] [10] Click here for more information about the case. The law states, "Upon receipt of the vote by mail ballot, the admitted voter shall mark the ballot in secret and subscribe to the certifications on the vote by mail ballot return envelope. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. For example, some states, like Arizona, only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off a ballot for someone else. "[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. A Facebook user shared a video they claim shows fraudulent ballot harvesting in Arizona. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. (5) For a person other than the absent voter; a person listed in these instructions; or a person whose job it is to handle mail before, during, or after being transported by a public postal service, express mail service, parcel post service, or common carrier, but only during the normal course of his or her employment to be in possession of a voted or unvoted absent voter ballot. Deliver the return envelope by 1 of the following methods: (a) Place the necessary postage upon the return envelope and deposit it in the United States mail or with another public postal service, express mail service, parcel post service, or common carrier. 6.87(4)(b)1 provides that electors must place their ballot in an envelope and follow certain procedures. 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. 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But the film showed no evidence that the individuals it showed on surveillance tapes were part of a ballot scheme, and a state investigation found that at least one person featured in the film was legally dropping off ballots of family members. In that instance, the authorized messenger shall personally deliver the absentee ballot to the precinct superintendent of the voter's home precinct. If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.[3]. The law says, "If delivered by other than the voter, a commercial courier, or the United States Postal Service, the registrar shall require that the person making such delivery sign a statement, prepared by the secretary of state, certifying that he has the authorization and consent of the voter to hand deliver the marked ballot. (c) In either (a) or (b), a member of the immediate family of the voter including a father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or a person residing in the voter's household may mail or deliver a ballot to the clerk for the voter. The clerk shall type or write in ink the name and the residence address of the voter in the designated section of the return envelope. Georgia, Iowa, and Florida have limited them by restricting the hours, locations, and . (b) Upon receipt of the application, the Executive Director, or his or her designee, if satisfied that the person cannot, in fact, be present at the polling place on the day of the election shall issue to the voter, through the voters duly authorized agent, an absentee ballot which shall be marked by the voter, placed in a sealed envelope and returned to the Board before the close of the polls on election day. To protect against voter fraud, Georgia law only allows close relatives and caregivers to request and return absentee ballots for another person. You don't have to sign anything. In Maryland, an authorized agent designated in writing by a voter may pick up and return their absentee ballot. The messenger may not be a candidate and can return no more than three voters' ballots. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. Yes, no earlier than 9 days before Election Day, and as long as that person is someone you have officially designated to pick up your ballot. If you drop off the application you will be able to pick up the absentee ballot at the same time. Restrictions on issuing ballot. The voter's employer, an agent of the voter's employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union may not act as a representative for the voter. the county clerk by United States mail or by depositing the ballot at the office of the county clerk, at And a few states explicitly prohibit dropping off someone elses ballot. As used in this section, "delivery agent" means: Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. Election security experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes. But the film showed no evidence that the individuals it showed on surveillance tapes were part of a ballot scheme, and a state investigation found that at least one person featured in the film was legally dropping off ballots of family members. Arizona permits a family member, household member, or caregiver to return a voter's absentee ballot. (2) At no time shall an authorized agent have more than two (2) absentee ballots in his or her possession. See the state-by-state details section below to learn more about your state's mail ballot laws. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the State Board and shall require the applicant (i) to state the cause of his incapacity, (ii) to state that he is unable to be present at the polls on election day, and that he was either incapacitated on or after the seventh day preceding the election or hospitalized on or after the fourteenth day preceding the election and unable to request the application earlier than the seventh day preceding the election, (iii) to designate a representative to receive, deliver and return the ballot, and (iv) to provide other information required by law for an absentee ballot application. In Kentucky, any person helping a voter cast their absentee ballot must complete a voter assistance form stating that the voter requires assistance due to disability, blindness, or inability to read English. provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to a voter's near (D) Possession of an absentee ballot with the intent to defraud a voter or an election official is a felony under 7-1-104. Operations: Meghann Olshefski Mandy Morris Kelly Rindfleisch Voters may return their mail-in or absentee ballot at their county election board's designated drop box (es) or drop-off location. In states where the practice is legal, volunteers or campaign workers can go directly to the homes of voters, collect the completed ballots, and drop them off en masse at polling places or. 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. 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