Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. 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]. A voter to whom a ballot was delivered in person at the office of the clerk as provided in said subsection (a) of said section ninety-one B shall return it without removing the ballot from such office. (b) "Collects" means to gain possession or control of an early ballot. Apply today! 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. For the purposes of this paragraph: (a) "Caregiver" means a person who provides medical or health care assistance to the voter in a residence, nursing care institution, hospice facility, assisted living center, assisted living facility, assisted living home, residential care institution, adult day health care facility or adult foster care home. 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 . They point to a 2018 congressional election in North Carolina, when a Republican political operative and his staff illegally gathered ballots and forged signatures, as one of the few instances of voter fraud related to ballot collection. We're now less than a month away from the Nov. 3 general election, but t here's still time to register to vote or to request an absentee or mail-in ballot. Laws in seven states and D.C. only allow another person to return a voter's ballot if that voter meets specific criteria, such as having a disability or qualifying for an emergency ballot. As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a voter. a. Depositing it in a United States postal mailbox, thereby mailing it to the Department; or ballot by mail, the elector must provide the postage. Laws allowing ballot collection make voting more convenient, but they have been criticized by some who say they increase risk of voter fraud. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? (AP Photo/John Locher, File). Only an authorized agent of the county clerk and recorder or designated election official may return more than 10 ballots. 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. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. 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. 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[.] Am I allowed to drop off a ballot for someone else? The agent shall 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). (4) An incapacity or illness that has resulted in the voter's being unable to leave home or a treatment facility. be a candidate for any office to be voted upon by the absent voter. Restrictions on issuing ballot. Boston, MA 02201. Monday through Friday If you have any questions about . (B) An authorized agent receiving an absentee ballot from a voter shall deliver the absentee ballot directly to the county clerk. And a few states explicitly prohibit dropping off someone elses ballot. HARRISBURG Gov. 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. Your absent voter ballot will then be picked up by the clerk or an election assistant sent by the clerk. Oregon law permits a person to return mail ballots on behalf of voters. Published: Nov. 04, 2021, 6:45 p.m. State law currently prohibits, in most cases, anyone other than the voter . In New Jersey, an authorized messenger may return mail-in ballots for a voter. The law states the following: (a)A qualified applicant may designate a duly authorized agent to pick up and deliver an absentee ballot under this subtitle. provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to a voter's near You can return your mail-in ballot at any of your county's locations. Take your completed ballot to the ballot box and insert it into the ballot box. 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. (c) The voter is serving on a sequestered jury on Election Day. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell For example, some states only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off your ballot for you. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Illinois law also contains a section for absentee voting by individuals who have been "admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or rehabilitation center due to an illness or physical injury not more than 14 days before an election." And a few states explicitly prohibit dropping off someone elses ballot. If the elector is unable to appear in court or unable to obtain assistance from an authorized representative, the judge shall direct a deputy sheriff of the county to deliver the absentee ballot to the elector if the elector is at a physical location within the county and return the completed absentee ballot, sealed in the official absentee ballot envelopes, to the county board of elections, who shall distribute the ballots, unopened, to the absentee voter's respective election district. That election was overturned. Click here for more on support and opposition arguments. To learn which states fall into each category, see the map below. Click here for more on support and opposition arguments. A. The oath shall be upon a voter assistance form prescribed by the State Board of Elections. How Vote By Mail Works in Pennsylvania. The law states the following: The applicant must then return the return-addressed envelope to the board of voter registration and elections by mail, by personal delivery, or by authorizing another person to return the envelope for him. not later than the end of the period determined under subsection (1) of this section on the date of the (c) If the voter is a resident of a residential care facility licensed pursuant to RSA 151:2, I(e) and described in RSA 151:9, VII(a)(1) and (2), the residential care facility administrator, or a residential care facility staff member designated in writing by the administrator to deliver ballots; or Maine law says that a third person may obtain and return absentee ballots for voters, but that the third person may not be a candidate or an immediate family member of a candidate. (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 The city or town clerk, or ward clerk on election day at the polls, shall not accept an absentee ballot from a delivery agent unless the delivery agent completes a form provided by the secretary of state, which shall be maintained by the city or town clerk, and the delivery agent presents a government-issued photo identification or has his or her identity verified by the city or town clerk. (1) To vote an absent voter ballot at a meeting or gathering at which other people are voting absent voter ballots. Welcome back to the Capital-Star's Election Mailbag: our weekly round-up of voting questions, crowdsourced from you - our readers. Especially consider how many ballots likely got dropped off, maybe ended up being a messy pile in the collection box, so it then needs to get organized before processing. That election was overturned. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. (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. (d) Subject to paragraph (e) of this subsection, if However, in 2020, when the use of drop boxes spiked because of the coronavirus pandemic, some criticized the practice. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. If the elector returns the 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. 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 most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. WARNING Purpose. The law states the following: H. A person who knowingly collects voted or unvoted early ballots from another person is guilty of a class 6 felony. (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. After the 2020 election, a discredited film claimed without evidence that a multistate network of Democrat-aligned ballot mules were paid to illegally collect and drop off ballots in five states. election.[3]. 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. 6.87(4)(b)1 provides that electors must place their ballot in an envelope and follow certain procedures. Other states allow you to give your ballot to anyone you choose. Other states dont have laws on ballot collection at all. If the voter authorized a person to deliver the ballot to the election authority, the voter and the person authorized to deliver the ballot shall complete the authorization printed on the exterior envelope supplied by an election authority for the return of the vote by mail ballot.[3]. "An authorized messenger shall deliver the absentee ballot to the person in charge of the election unless there is not sufficient time for the person in charge of the election to transmit the absentee ballot to the voter's home precinct. But in all other cases, voters have to mail or bring their ballot to an elections office, satellite location, or drop . Yes. The representative must complete a statement, in which false statement is considered a felony. 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. But in most cases in Pennsylvania, so-called "ballot harvesting" is illegal. 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. Any person assisting a voter shall complete the voter assistance form.". Voters confined to a hospital can vote an absentee ballot immediately upon delivery by a registrar or absentee ballot clerk and return it to the official. 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. (A) An administrator may deliver the absentee ballot to the county clerk for any voter who names the administrator on his or her application and voter statement. It also states that someone cannot serve as an agent for more than two voters. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. If the health care facility is outside the city or town and no such family member is available for such purpose, the ballot need not be delivered in person, but may be mailed.". [3], The following household family members may assist an absentee voter in returning his or her ballot: spouse, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece. (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]. The film also pointed to cellphone geolocation data, which experts say is not precise enough to identify whether someone used a drop box or simply traveled near it. Certificate of Designated Agent forms can be found at www.vote.pa.gov This will allow you to drop off someone else's ballot if they are physically unable to do so. For example, some states only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off your . In Minnesota, a designated agent can return absentee ballots on behalf of not more than three voters. Be Truthful. State laws vary not only by who may return mail ballots but by the conditions they do or do not set around the practice and whether they specify who may not return another's ballot. 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. You can scan your signed application and email it back to us at absenteevoter@boston.gov or fax it to us at 617-635-4483. 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. FILE - A person drops off a mail-in ballot at an election ballot return box in Willow Grove, Pa., Oct. 25, 2021. Research: Josh Altic Vojsava Ramaj Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. 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. However, in 2020, when the use of drop boxes spiked because of the coronavirus pandemic, some criticized the practice. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvania's top state elections official is pushing back against a county district attorney's plans to have detectives monitor ballot drop box location (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Read More A voter places a . D. To any voter, immediate family member or 3rd person whose request was received in the municipal office after the 3rd business day before election day, unless the voter signs an application, designed by the Secretary of State, stating one of the following reasons for requesting an absentee ballot after the deadline: 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. A few states require designated agents to sign a . A voter, caregiver to that voter or member of that voter's immediate family may deliver that voter's absentee ballot to the county clerk in person or by mail; provided that the voter has subscribed the official mailing envelope of the absentee ballot. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Election security experts say that voter fraud is rare among all forms of voting, including by mail and at drop boxes. For example, some states, like Arizona, only allow caregivers, family members or household members to drop off a ballot for someone else. Only a voter can mail their ballot or return it in person, unless they have a disability and officially designate someone to do it for them. The law defines designee and immediate family member. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. A candidate or a member of a candidate's paid campaign staff including volunteers reimbursed for time expended on campaign activity is not permitted to serve as an authorized returnee for any person unless the person is a member of the voter's immediate family as defined in Section 7-15-310. A few states require designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the authority to deliver someones ballot. A few states require designated agents to sign a document confirming they have the authority to deliver someones ballot. The law says, "Absentee ballots which are hand delivered are to be accepted if they are received by the official designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting no later than the day preceding the election: Provided, That no person may hand deliver more than two absentee ballots in any election and any person hand delivering an absentee ballot is required to certify that he or she has not examined or altered the ballot. (b) The voter or the person assisting the blind voter or voter with a disability may mail the envelope to the city or town clerk, with postage affixed. The film also pointed to cellphone geolocation data, which experts say is not precise enough to identify whether someone used a drop box or simply traveled near it. 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