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Hi friends pardon the rant but I can’t hold it any longer. Vote By Mail allows every registered voter equal access to vote privately, independently, and SAFELY. VBM states still have accessible options. In WA you can still register and get a paper ballot up through Election Day.
I won’t even say the F word but please know most states also perform logic and accuracy testing of voting equipment prior to an election and do some form of audit during the election to ensure votes are being tallied correctly.
VBM allows counties to do a hand count if necessary because they have a paper trail. Signature verification is done prior to opening & tabulating a ballot. We don’t know who/what you voted for and we can’t toss ballots because of how you voted.
In WA you can track your ballot to see when we have it & when it’s been accepted. The King County ballot tracker tells you when we’ve received it, if there were issues with your signature & gives you access to correct it, & when we’ve moved your ballot on to be opened & counted.
In WA we don’t have a party affiliation associated with your voter registration. Oh that primary that you had to check the box on? That affirmation gets removed 60 days after the election. We do not know your party preferences & you can vote for any candidate regardless of party.
But wait my signature isn’t the same as when I registered! It happens. Signatures change over time time. If it’s different on your ballot we will allow you to verify the ballot signature and in most cases also update it for future elections.
That signature verification letter we sent? We aren’t sending it so we can’t count your vote. We send it so we CAN count your vote. We WANT to count your vote. We offer multiple ways and days to correct a signature clear through the day before the election is certified.
But what about dead people? No, deceased persons are not voting and remember that signature check? It’s there so we can determine you are you and that the person signing the ballot is the registered voter. We do this by comparing the ballot signature to your voter registration.
You don’t want the postal carrier to see your signature? Sorry to break it to you but they don’t care. If you are worried about it most VBM states offer ballot drop boxes that are only collected by election staff. King County has 70 - one within a 3-mile radius of most voters.
Still not sold? In King County you can watch us scan and sort, signature check, open, review, and scan for tabulation in person from a 3/4 mile loop or via web cam. We are all about transparency. We want you to vote. We want your voice to be heard. https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/about-us/security-and-accountability/watch-us-in-action.aspx">https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/ele...
We don’t care who you vote for, or what issues you vote for or against, we just care that you vote. https://youtu.be/B2MOOla7N7I ">https://youtu.be/B2MOOla7N...
Vote by Mail is secure, offers accessibility options, has a paper trail, & boosts voter turnout. There is noting nefarious about letting people vote. There is no agenda behind it. It’s about equity and access. If that scares you, please ask yourself why.
