Action | Action Making an Illegible or Missing Postmark an Immaterial Omission on Absentee Ballot Envelopes |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 10/2/2020 |
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In order to ensure election integrity, no votes should be counted unless they can be certified as having been cast no later than election day. That means they must be postmarked that day or earlier. If they are not postmarked that day or earlier they are not proven to have been cast on election Day or prior. Allowing easier access to voting is one thing but we must be sure that voting is done certifiably. Given all of the other opportunities for voters to cast their vote other than in person that are already available under Virginia law, there is no excuse for allowing any votes not certified as having been cast by election day to be counted. it is simply too easy to cast a vote without adding this additional possibility.