Action | Material omissions from absentee ballots. |
Stage | Final |
Comment Period | Ended on 10/12/2011 |
In reguard to VAC20-70-20. Material omissions from absentee ballots, Item C, #s 1, 2, & 3 are too restrictive, especially if all other identifying information matches; they should be non-material omissions/mistakes.
The Elections Board should ensure by regulation & prior review that ALL jurisdictions' absentee (& in-person) ballots provide CLEAR, EXPLICIT, & EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE instructions (8th grade education language level) for EACH ballot item that the voter must complete. These instructions must give examples for each item, including what is NOT acceptable. Also, there are many citizens who do not know how to write cursively & thus whose signatures are printed rather than written cursively. Such a signature should NOT disqualify a voter's absentee ballot.