Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Elections
 
Board
State Board of Elections
 
chapter
Absentee Voting [1 VAC 20 ‑ 70]
Chapter is Exempt from Article 2 of the Administrative Process Act
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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9/22/20  7:51 pm
Commenter: MaryAnn Edman

POSTMARKS MUST BE MANDATORY for ALL mailed-in ballots
 

I strongly disapprove of accepting any mail-in ballots that have not been properly postmarked prior to 7:00 p.m., November 3, 2020. The integrity of the electoral process has been horribly compromised by the whole idea of mail-in ballots, with no witnesses or reason for using them. They remove the privacy of the "secret ballot," and they are an invitation to voter fraud. 

I also note that Board of Elections does NOT have the authority to issue a regulation that no postmark or other proof of submission by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day is required. That "regulation" is not in the legislation signed by the governor. The law requires that absentee ballot return envelopes must have a proper postmark to prove that the ballots were returned legitimately and on time. The likelihood of voter fraud is high enough now without the added assistance of counting ballots that have no postmark. I take the time to vote in person, and my vote is important. I do not want it cancelled out by fraudulent ballots.

 

CommentID: 85347