Last week I voted. It was exhilarating, I have never missed an election, including primaries, school boards, and general elections…yet there was something special about this vote. With all the crises that we now face, I felt that my vote would be a vote for stability, for hope, for peace, for unity.
As a Florida voter, I was particularly excited. I have been voting by mail in Florida for 5 years, so I am comfortable with the slightly onerous process of using a secrecy folder, signing the outer folder and affixing 3 stamps to the mailer. I have voted in every primary and every election by mail.
Just a few months ago, I voted in the primary.
Today, I got an email notifying me that my ballot was rejected “because the signature did not match.”
Signatures change for a myriad of reasons. All signatures change over time. But signatures can also be impacted by simple things, body position, the pen, a hurried signature.
I have never had a ballot rejected.
To prove that I am me, I must complete an affidavit and mail it with a copy of my identification to prove that I voted. I have the option of scanning the document and sending it by email. It is not hard, but it is an extra, clearly unnecessary step.
Next, I have to check that they received and accepted the affidavit and that my ballot is NOT labeled provisional. (Since many states do not count provisional ballots.)
The majority of Biden supporters are voting by mail. The majority of Trump supporters are voting in person.
Florida is a Republican State. I am a registered Democrat.
Florida rejected my ballot for the first time in 5 years.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.
George Hardy says
This is a shocking and sad tale. Congratulations on your persistence. Perhaps it is also a hopeful tale, as long as there are more determined voters like you.
Stephen Schaare says
Perhaps a “Vast right wing conspiracy”? Mmm, let me think….who said that? Ah yes, the matriarch of the Clinton crime family.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Yes, let us talk about those Hillary emails or whatever. Who cares she was exonerated? . I mean facts only matter to those who care about truth. Otherwise, listen to Hannity
or any other faux news. It really must be easier then realizing you’ve elected the biggest criminal
to (pollute) occupy the WH. So, keep on talking about the Clintons. We get it.
Ed Plaisance says
I am a resident of Chestertown, visiting a friend in San Antonio, TX.
Maryland sent my ballot by email. It has a unique tracking number. I filled it out on my computer and printed it out. (I could also have printed it out and filled it out by hand.) I signed an oath on a separate piece of paper. There was no “security envelope”. I printed out the envelope provided, which has the unique tracking number on it. (If you can’t print envelopes, you can address one by hand and write the tracking number by hand.) I folded the ballot and the oath and put them in the envelope with two stamps and mailed it.
How easy was that?!!
Having heard the stories of signatures not matching, I called the Kent County board of elections and spoke with Michelle (if I remember her name correctly) who was incredibly helpful. She said there are absolutely no signature checks in Maryland. I paraphrase what she said: “We are not handwriting experts. We don’t have time to check signatures.”
What kind of graphology training have the election people in Florida received?
After checking the Maryland website for tracking the progress of my ballot, I was concerned that it had not shown up as received after a week so I called again. Michelle said to check in a day or so…it would certainly appear.
Maybe 15 minutes later she called me and said that she had gone to the drawer where the ballots were put as they come in, and informed me that mine was in the drawer. My status was updated as received the following day on the Maryland voters’ website.
I was very impressed at the ease, competence, and helpfulness of the system and the people working there.
Having been a voting resident of Florida for many years while I worked overseas and being fully aware that Florida has no income tax, I wouldn’t recommend you change your residence over this inconvenience…but it does make one wonder what they are thinking in these states.
Deirdre LaMotte says
What they are thinking is if voting is available to all registered voters, Republicans are history. Ha, ha, it is the only way they can win. Speaks volumes, right?!
Stephen Schaare says
Hi Deidre, Voting IS available to all registered voters, here in the US. Ms. Rieck IS voting. Why so bitter? Has Mr. Trump destroyed your family and siezed your assets?
Deirdre LaMotte says
Ah, I cannot think of what has not been shamefully affected by that man. As far as voting, the point
is the Republican Party knows it cannot win except by making voting as difficult as possible.
And yeah, I have a problem with a fundamental right being denied.
Ed Plaisance says
True in theory…voting is available to all registered voters. Actually being able to vote is another story.
I am visiting my friend in San Antonio, TX. The Republican governor here is allowing ONE ballot drop box per county. Texas has 254 counties, ranging from Loving county with a population of 169…yes, 169, to Harris county with a population of 4.7 million, which is more than the population in 50% of the states. Clinton beat Trump by over 12% in Harris county in 2016.
Seems pretty obvious that Abbot wants to make voting difficult in Harris county, home to Houston, the fourth largest city in the USA.
Same is true for the other major urban areas in Texas, which are majority Democrat with significant minorities.
One comparison: Connecticut with a population of around 3.6 million is placing a drop box in each town. Connecticut has 169 towns. How is that for making it easy?
It is a gratuitous deflection to ask whether Trump has destroyed Ms LaMotte’s family or seized her assets. Had he done so it would only further demonstrate his unfitness for presidential office. But he does that on a daily basis, and the recent polls reflect this.