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Signature mismatch? You have to sign your ballot? Doesn't that identify that it was your ballot? It's been a couple of years since I last voted in NZ (election

Signature mismatch? You have to sign your ballot? Doesn't that identify that it was your ballot? It's been a couple of years since I last voted in NZ (election in 3 weeks, and it's every 3 years) but I definitely don't think you're allowed to put any identifying mark on your ballot here..

jayess 9y ago
You generally sign the envelope in which you send your ballot in, not the ballot itself.
skybrian 9y ago
This is about signing the envelope on a mail-in ballot. The ballots themselves are not signed. Once the ballot is removed from the envelope, it can't be identified as yours.
bskap 9y ago
Washington does all vote-by-mail (except for people who need assistance or who don't have a permanent address). For the vast majority of voters, you get a ballot, a big fat book with statements from all of the candidates, and your return envelope in the mail a few weeks before the election. After you fill out your ballot (with no identifying marks), you slip it into an inner envelope (with no identifying marks) and put that in the outer envelope (which includes your name and you have to sign). When a ballot is received, elections officials check the signature on the outer envelope. If the signature matches, the inner envelope containing the ballot is removed from the outer envelope and dumped into a pile so no one can match the submitted ballot with the original envelope, and then the whole pile is taken in to be counted. There's an observation deck in the facility and cameras running the entire time the elections officials are counting ballots to make sure no one is cheating and checking who voted for who.
- manicdee 9y ago
  For those following at home: you sign a ballot return form to ensure only enrolled voters vote, and that they only vote once.
- skybrian 9y ago
  We don't have inner envelopes on mail-in ballots in California, though.
  - donarb 9y ago
    The inner envelope is essentially a safety mechanism to ensure that the person who might have read the name on the outer envelope does not accidentally see one of the voter's choices on the ballot.

jayess 9y ago

You generally sign the envelope in which you send your ballot in, not the ballot itself.

skybrian 9y ago

This is about signing the envelope on a mail-in ballot. The ballots themselves are not signed. Once the ballot is removed from the envelope, it can't be identified as yours.

bskap 9y ago

Washington does all vote-by-mail (except for people who need assistance or who don't have a permanent address). For the vast majority of voters, you get a ballot, a big fat book with statements from all of the candidates, and your return envelope in the mail a few weeks before the election. After you fill out your ballot (with no identifying marks), you slip it into an inner envelope (with no identifying marks) and put that in the outer envelope (which includes your name and you have to sign). When a ballot is received, elections officials check the signature on the outer envelope. If the signature matches, the inner envelope containing the ballot is removed from the outer envelope and dumped into a pile so no one can match the submitted ballot with the original envelope, and then the whole pile is taken in to be counted. There's an observation deck in the facility and cameras running the entire time the elections officials are counting ballots to make sure no one is cheating and checking who voted for who.

manicdee 9y ago
For those following at home: you sign a ballot return form to ensure only enrolled voters vote, and that they only vote once.
skybrian 9y ago
We don't have inner envelopes on mail-in ballots in California, though.
- donarb 9y ago
  The inner envelope is essentially a safety mechanism to ensure that the person who might have read the name on the outer envelope does not accidentally see one of the voter's choices on the ballot.