Slog
News & ArtsThursday, November 17, 2011
Election Thirteen Thousand Votes Haven't Been Counted—Has Yours?
Posted by Unpaid Intern on Thu, Nov 17, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Posted by news intern Marley Zeno
Slog tipper Elizabeth Campbell called us yesterday to report that King County Elections wasn't counting her ballot. According to Campbell, "They will not count my vote because they didn’t like my signature... they said I could send a photocopy of my driver’s license and compare again or go to Renton and do the same thing."
Kim van Ekstrom, an elections spokeswoman, says that as of last night there are approximately 13,000 ballots with signature problems that aren't being counted. Roughly half had no signature and the other half have a disputed signature. And if there's problem with the signature, elections workers can't even open up the envelope to count the vote.
Has your ballot been counted?
To check if your ballot was counted, go to the county's handy BALLOT TRACKER. Just type in your name and birth date, and it will tell you the status of your ballot. If King County Elections has contacted you—but check, because they reportedly haven't contacted everyone—you have until November 28 to verify your signature and have your vote counted.
Political campaign consultant John Wyble—a strategist for council candidate Bobby Forch, who currently trails incumbent Jean Godden by 3,000 votes—has been reviewing lists of supporters to make sure their ballots were counted, and they've contacted 50 to 100 people whose ballots had signature problems. He says that in Seattle, 7,000 ballots "have issues."
If your ballot hasn't been counted and you haven't already heard from King County Elections, call them at 206-296-VOTE (8683).
1
I received two separate signature challenges and an email. I responded to all three and it looks like they finally accepted my ballot. What a headache. The funny thing is they rejected my signature because you can't read my name (like many people, I do the first initial and squiggle thing) but it is exactly how I signed when I registered so my signatures DO match. Should I be worried that if someone steals my ballot and signs my name out legibly, they would just accept that because it could be read?
2
All power to Bobby Forch, but even if every one of those ballots were to be accepted wouldn't he have to win them by 3-to-1 to make up his deficit?
Surely the really important race is that one in Bellevue with the candidates separated by dozens of votes, not thousands?
Surely the really important race is that one in Bellevue with the candidates separated by dozens of votes, not thousands?
3
Thanks for the link. It is good to see my vote cleared the various hurdles. @2, I think Wyble's statement suggests more than anything that he intends to add a few hours to Bobby's final consulting invoice.
4
@1: you shouldn't be worried. I just came back from King County Elections doing some scrutineering and made notes about challenged ballots. I flipped through the signature verification manual which has procedures for scanning and manually identifying signatures.
The State of Washington requires that one letter to the voter w/a ballot requiring verification, alerting the voter, and advising them to expect a telephone call if the voter does not take prompt action. King County adds a courtesy call procedure to the State of Washington requirements.
The State of Washington requires that one letter to the voter w/a ballot requiring verification, alerting the voter, and advising them to expect a telephone call if the voter does not take prompt action. King County adds a courtesy call procedure to the State of Washington requirements.
5
This is an especially important issue in the School Board race in District 1 between Sharon Peaslee and Peter Maier.
Maier was ahead election night but thereafter, Peaslee took over the lead and is now up 700+ votes. If it keeps trending this way (and ALL the challengers are trending ahead of incumbents in the SB races with only Peaslee able to turn the tide), Peaslee will win.
So do check your ballot movement at KC Elections.
Maier was ahead election night but thereafter, Peaslee took over the lead and is now up 700+ votes. If it keeps trending this way (and ALL the challengers are trending ahead of incumbents in the SB races with only Peaslee able to turn the tide), Peaslee will win.
So do check your ballot movement at KC Elections.
6
When I check, it says:
"We have received your ballot, your signature has been verified, and you will be credited with participating in this election.
Your returned ballot packet will soon be opened and your ballot will be prepared for counting.
Thank you for voting."
They haven't opened mine yet. Also - who cares about credit when they haven't even counted it yet. Geez.
"We have received your ballot, your signature has been verified, and you will be credited with participating in this election.
Your returned ballot packet will soon be opened and your ballot will be prepared for counting.
Thank you for voting."
They haven't opened mine yet. Also - who cares about credit when they haven't even counted it yet. Geez.
8
@6, that is the final verification step. It is the last point at which the County tracks your ballot to you personally. After that the ballot becomes secret. This might help:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voti…
http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/voti…
9
I checked my own ballot and that of my wife. Both of our signatures were apparently verified, but there was nothing on the Ballot Checker site indicating that the ballots were in fact counted. I called the office, and the representative there said that if your signature is verified, then in all probability your ballot was counted. It's just the wording on the site that's inadequate. So a word to the wise: Don't get indignant as I did--at least for that reason.
10
Signature Verified not counted yet.
Mailed 1pm Election Day University Post Office.
We're like the Syria of the First World ...
Mailed 1pm Election Day University Post Office.
We're like the Syria of the First World ...
11
As a drop-box voter, I was surprised at how long it took for my ballot to move from "sent out" to "received" this year, to the point I called King County. While the lady on the phone was able to confirm my ballot had been received it took several more days for the site to reflect that.
12
"Slog tipper Elizabeth Campbell..."
This is the same Elizabeth Campbell who ran for mayor, because she wanted the Alaskan Way Viaduct to be rebuilt and strengthened, to remain forever on the Seattle waterfront?
"They will not count my vote..." That's b.s., and she knows it. They have not counted her vote yet. They clearly told her what has to be done for them to count her vote. It's not that they won't. I'm sure Ms. Campbell would be in a state if her ballot had been taken from her mailbox and someone else returned it with a forged signature. Then she would appreciate the signature verification process.
This is the same Elizabeth Campbell who ran for mayor, because she wanted the Alaskan Way Viaduct to be rebuilt and strengthened, to remain forever on the Seattle waterfront?
"They will not count my vote..." That's b.s., and she knows it. They have not counted her vote yet. They clearly told her what has to be done for them to count her vote. It's not that they won't. I'm sure Ms. Campbell would be in a state if her ballot had been taken from her mailbox and someone else returned it with a forged signature. Then she would appreciate the signature verification process.
13
Sure, they don't send out thousands of ballots and then they don't count thousands more, but we should definitely worry that someone will steal a single ballot and vote illegally, cause that would be horrible.
15
I got sick of signature challenges, so when I sent an updated signature form I made sure to have a copy of the signature I put on it. I bust it out whenever I have a ballot and make sure to practice, practice, practice, and then sign in the proper fashion. That's what I get for having an inconsistent signature.
16
This happens to me every single election, even after I sent the updated signature form. My theory: I tend to vote early, and the bored election workers overly scrutinize early ballots to give themselves something to do.
17
---FOR THOSE OF YOU HAVING SIGNATURE PROBLEMS---
I hacked it. I win. Everyone can do this and they'll accept it. The first time I did this I tried signing it, no good. The next time I tried signing it and then having witnesses sign it, cause I thought that would work, nope. This election I send in my ballot with X marked on my signature and my roommates as the 2 witnesses. THIS TIME IT WORKED.
So for anyone having problems, cheat the system like I did. Act like you can't sign the form and get your buddies to be witnesses. That's the only way to participate in democracy and be counted. Rules were meant to be bent and I don't even really care if it was against the rules, I got to vote. You should get to vote too.
I hacked it. I win. Everyone can do this and they'll accept it. The first time I did this I tried signing it, no good. The next time I tried signing it and then having witnesses sign it, cause I thought that would work, nope. This election I send in my ballot with X marked on my signature and my roommates as the 2 witnesses. THIS TIME IT WORKED.
So for anyone having problems, cheat the system like I did. Act like you can't sign the form and get your buddies to be witnesses. That's the only way to participate in democracy and be counted. Rules were meant to be bent and I don't even really care if it was against the rules, I got to vote. You should get to vote too.
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