Whether or not a family member, attorney, or caregiver can drop off an absentee ballot on a voter's behalf varies depending on the state they live in. This is false as there's currently no evidence to support this. “There’s a misconception that, ‘Oh, if a ballot's in the ballot drop box that means it's definitely going to be counted’ and no, security checks happen on all ballots.”ģ) Allowing someone else to drop off a ballot on the voter's behalf encourages voter fraud. They're going to ensure that this person hasn't voted already because if they've already voted that ballot's going to be tossed,” explains Albert. “Election officials will check, depending on your state, your signature, date of birth, or license number. The ballots that come through drop boxes go through the same security checks as any ballot that comes through the mail. ![]() Extra keys for opening slot and access doorĢ) Once you drop a ballot in a drop box, that ballot can be counted and there are no other security measures.Media storage device (for recorded video).Election Assistance Commission (EAC), ballot drop boxes should have the following: They are steel boxes, usually bolted to the ground, and reportedly more secure than U.S. The ADA requires election officials to select and provide accessible ballot drop box locations so that voters with disabilities can have the same voting opportunities as other voters." What Are Some Myths About Ballot Drop Boxes? Many of these barriers continue even today, including physical barriers that prevent them from entering polling places or accessing a ballot drop box. In the release, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division noted, "For too long in our history, many voters with disabilities have faced barriers in exercising their voting rights. ![]() In February 2022, the Justice Department issued a press release on ballot drop box accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. "Every voter has different experiences and different limitations, so providing as much access as possible is really the only way to actually meet all of the voters' needs," says Albert. This is important as ballot drop box accessibility is key for everyone, but especially disabled voters and elderly people. Think: states in the northeast like Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Delaware. There are a lot of states that have expanded access to vote by mail since the 2020 election, which includes adding ballot drop boxes. What States Have Recently Expanded the Use of Ballot Drop Boxes? Recently, the Wisconsin ballot drop boxes have been transformed into an art project to inform voters about the bans and where to send their absentee ballots. Voter education is needed to inform people about these changing laws, which election officials have failed to do, so constituents are taking matters into their own hands. "That's why I say Wisconsin's a microcosm because the calculation often is that if we can get away with doing this in a state like Wisconsin, which has a long tradition of open voting, then we can probably do this kind of thing in other states around the country,” says Heck. It was once a leader in high voter turnout and expanded access to the ballot prior to the very restrictive 2011 voter ID law and 2022 absentee ballot law that went into effect. Heck emphasizes that Wisconsin is a microcosm for the rest of the country. ![]() How Will Wisconsin's Drop Box Ban Affect Other Voting Laws Across the Country? It's important to note, however, that vote by mail was equally used by both parties prior to the Republican party's attack on voting by mail and ballot drop boxes. By getting rid of all the drop boxes, their calculation is that this will help them.” ![]() “The calculation in Wisconsin by the Republicans is that more Democrats vote by absentee ballot overall than Republicans so they view it in their interests to be able to restrict how absentee ballots are returned. “This is designed specifically to make sure that many of the absentee ballots that are cast will not be counted simply because they didn't get there in time or were not returned properly,” explains Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin.
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