'Ballot-curing' saves votes from the trash, lets voters fix errors

Small paperwork errors aren’t unfixable — as long as you get your ballot in the mail early enough for your local board of elections to send it back for review.

JUST LIKE PERSONAL CHECKSMISSING SIGNATURES... BALLOTSMISSING KEY INFORMATION DO NOTCOUNT... UNLESS YOU HAVE ACURE.STATES LET VOTERS FIXMISTAKES ON MAIL BALLOTS.BUTHOW DO YOU KNOW THERE'S APROBLEM?REPORTER LARRY SEWARDEXPLAINS.(track)(show LAWSUIT 1)theyfiled a lawsuit...non-partisanwatchdogs and voters (showLAWSUIT 2)who claim indianacounty election officerstossed absentee ballots (showSIGNATURES)over signaturesthat did not match those onfile without telling voters.(sot/ tc 1:28/ julia vaughn/common cause indiana, policydirector)"we found somecounties that were justrejecting dozens of ballots.other counties that didn'treject a single one."(track)(show JUDGE ORDER photo -"violate the due process andequal protection rights")afederal judge ruled thepractice "violates due processand equal protection rights."still... every state'scounters can "red flag" mailvote envelopes oversignatures, printed names,addresses, dates of birth, ori-d numbers.(sot/ tc :54/julia carney/ clermont co boedirector)"if any of thoseitems are missing we cannotprocess the ballot.

So we willsend you what is called an 11Sform and that's how you cureyour ballot."(track)(show 11SFORM)this is ohio's fix itform.counties have to give oneto voters(show ABSENTEE BALLOTENVELOPE) whose absenteeballots have problems.(larrystandup)"snail mail used to bethe only way to send word.

Butwhen ballots go out nextmonth... election officers cancall or email."(sot/ tc 3:04 /julia carney/ clermont co boe,director)"we actually justcontracted with a company thatwill assist with getting outmass emails and mass phone sowe can contact those voterseven quicker."(track)(show VRLmov)according to thenon-partisan voting rightslab... (show VRL PHOTO 1)mailballots are "rejected atnearly twice the rate of in-person ballots."(show VRLPHOTO 2)they say first-timevoters, younger voters, andvoters of color are mostlikely to cast votes thatdon't count.(sot/ tc 3:22/julia vaughn/ common cause,indiana)"be aware that yoursignature is going to becompared with anothersignature that the electionoffice has on hand.

And insome cases that signature cango back to when you firstregistered to vote at 18."(track)(show file of campbellcounty clerk's office counting)in june... kentucky launchedits first ever cure process.clerks who used to tossballots without reaching outcan call or email voters.(showADAMS photo)while thecommonwealth's chief electionsofficer says (show ADAMSLETTER)he's "scalinback"mail voting... onlyencouraging it for those whomust... (show LAROSE TWEET)ohio is embracing record surgeand pushing online ballottracking.(sot/ tc 4:20/ sherrypoland/ hamilton co boe,director)"a few days afterthey've mailed their ballot,maybe give it about five daysand check our website or giveus a call."(track)(show OHCURE DEADLINE photo)curingdeadlines vary by state butnot warnings(show file ofkentucky ballot counting) todo it early.larry seward..wcpo... ninenews.