Comments on: Campaigns Roll On Amid Ward 3 Ballot Issue

By: Ed Golembiewski

Ed Golembiewski — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:19:15 +0000

Mr. Wieder is correct. A different numbering sequence was applied to replacement ballots. As in every election, the unique ballot number appears on the stub of the ballot was well as the return envelope in which it is submitted by the voter.

In the event both ballots are returned, only the replacement will be counted.

The issue is moot if only the replacement ballot is returned.

-Ed Golembiewski, Director of Elections

By: Tom Wieder

Tom Wieder — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 18:05:26 +0000

I think Vivian’s concerns will be addressed rather easily, and she answered it with her own question. Yes, ballot numbers have been recorded for the defective ballots. A second series of numbers was assigned to the replacement ballots. The Clerk’s office only needs to determine if both ballots sent to the same voter have been returned. If so, the defective first ballot will be set aside as a “spoiled ballot,” and the replacement ballot will be processed for counting.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:56:55 +0000

Re: “… how will election workers know which to count?” While this challenge is not trivial, I don’t think it’s rocket science. Summarized in vague fashion by the Dept. of State: “The clerk would have a way to track whether the second ballot is returned and have controls in place to ensure only one ballot per voter is counted.”

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:42:41 +0000

But how will election workers know which ballots to count? Suppose I am a Ward 3 voter (which I’m not), have received my ballot and put it aside, ignored the new ballot or confused it with the old one, wait until much later in the month to send it in (there are some confusing judicial races and a state proposition to ponder) – how will election workers know which to count? Presumably when a second ballot is returned, it renders the old one completely inoperative, else there would be double counting on other races.

Note that ballots are only identified as to the voter on the outside envelope. The inside envelope is removed prior to ballot counting and separated from that information. So how to distinguish the different ballots? Unless the (defective) ballot numbers have been recorded? But then how to ensure that a voter who has already returned a defective ballot and has the first one disallowed has the second ballot counted for all races? I suppose that envelopes can be scrutinized for the postmark and duplicate ballots for an individual voter can be put aside based on that date.

I worked at elections in the past. It may look sleepy but this looks like a high-tension operation to me. Getting a headache just thinking about it.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:56:45 +0000

Re: [1] That’s not an actual worry. There’s not a dispute about whether votes in other races besides Ward 3 will be counted from the incorrectly printed ballots. Last Friday, the Dept. of State’s view was that if someone submitted only an incorrectly printed ballot, their votes in other races would count, but their vote in the Ward 3 race would not. That’s what Wieder is arguing for. And now the Dept. of State’s view is that even Ward 3 votes, not just votes from other races, from incorrectly printed ballots can count.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:36:49 +0000

So what will be the position of mayoral and judicial candidates whose vote totals might be affected if the defective ballots are not counted?

Many of our races have hinged on relatively few votes in recent years.