Giving third parties who have a stake in the outcome of an election access to voters and their absentee ballots in an unsupervised setting is not wise, and is a proven threat to the integrity of the election process. 2. However, in 2020, when the use of drop boxes spiked because of the coronavirus pandemic, some criticized the practice. State laws vary not only by who may return mail ballots but by the conditions they do or do not set around the practice and whether they specify who may not return another's ballot. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. Twenty-five states and D.C. allow someone chosen by the voter to return their ballot. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be restrictions. Here's why. With national concern about the veracity of mail-in ballots, Colorado has become a . Surveys after the 2020 election found that voters who cast ballots for President Joe Biden were far more likely to report voting by mail than voters for Trump. Am I allowed to drop off a ballot for someone else? After depositing the ballot in the return envelope and securely sealing the envelope, such voter shall give the envelope to the precinct voter or the relative who shall deliver it to the election authority in sufficient time for the ballot to be delivered by the election authority to the election authority's central ballot counting location before 7 p.m. on election day.". And a few states explicitly prohibit dropping off someone elses ballot. USPS recommends mailing your ballot back at least 7 days before Election Day. Or, it could go nowhere, but at least your friend will know they did all the could. business manager of the school district, as the case may be, authorization in writing Can I drop off my voted absentee by-mail ballot? [7], On June 8, 2021, Governor Kim Reynolds (R) signed SF568 into law, making a series of changes to Iowa's absentee/mail-in voting laws. Instead, you can drop it off in the location in your jurisdiction. As used in this section, "immediate family" means the spouse, children, parents or siblings of a voter. The 2016 Republican-led legislation, HB 2023, bans anyone but. has been prepared, the county auditor, city auditor, or business manager of the school Ohio law allows a family member (defined by the law) to return a voter's absentee ballot. Illinois law allows vote-by-mail ballots to be delivered in person by any person the voter authorizes or by a company licensed as a motor carrier of property by the state. See the state-by-state details section below to learn more about your state's mail ballot laws. Track Your Ballot. Heres how to double check your registration status before you head to the polls. As used in this section, immediate family means a dependent relative who resides in the individual's household or any spouse, child or parent of the individual. That election was overturned. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell [3], Arkansas law permits a designated bearer to return absentee ballots for up to two voters, an authorized agent to return ballots for up to two voters who are "in a hospital or long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state," and an administrator to return ballots for "any voter who is a patient of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state and who authorizes the administrator to obtain an absentee ballot on his or her behalf.". (C) A designated bearer shall not deliver ballots to the county clerk for more than two (2) voters per election; and The representative must complete a statement, in which false statement is considered a felony. Yes, no earlier than 9 days before Election Day, and as long as that person is someone you have officially designated to pick up your ballot. The law states the following: "Any elector applying to cast a vote-by-mail ballot in the office of the supervisor, in any election, who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may request the assistance of some person of his or her own choice, other than the electors employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of his or her union, in casting his or her vote-by-mail ballot. Political groups and campaigns from both parties have run ballot-collection programs with the goal of boosting turnout and helping older, homebound, disabled or rural voters get their ballots returned. Laws allowing ballot collection are designed to make voting more convenient, and to make it possible for people who cant travel to deliver a ballot on their own. It also states that the third person cannot have more than five absentee ballots outstanding at a time. (AP Photo/John Locher, File). ", State law also says that it is a class I felony for "any person to take into that person's possession for delivery to a voter or (1)Except for those voters who have been certified as requiring assistance in voting on a permanent or annual basis, any person voting by means of an absentee ballot by mail or on the voting machine in the county clerk's office or other place designated by the county board of elections, and approved by the State Board of Elections, as provided in this chapter who receives assistance in voting shall be required to complete the voter assistance form required by KRS 117.255 . Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. The deadline to drop off your ballot or vote in Colorado is 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. You may find yourself wondering if someone - perhaps a family member - might be. Other states, like California, allow for a ballot to submitted by anyone chosen by the voter as long as they are not paid per ballot they collect. (1) Unexpected absence from the municipality during the entire time the polls are open on election day; Montana law states that an authorized individual may collect ballots and specifies that the person may be a caregiver, household member, family member, or acquaintance. Return of ballot by 3rd person. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. An absentee ballot shall be cast at a primary, election or referendum only if: (1) It is mailed by (A) the ballot applicant, (B) a designee of a person who applies for an absentee ballot because of illness or physical disability, or (C) a member of the immediate family of an applicant who is a student, so that it is received by the clerk of the municipality in which the applicant is qualified to vote not later than the close of the polls; (3) it is returned by a designee of an ill or physically disabled ballot applicant, in person, to said clerk not later than the close of the polls on the day of the election, primary or referendum; (4) it is returned by a member of the immediate family of the absentee voter, in person, to said clerk not later than the close of the polls on the day of the election, primary or referendum; A person returning an absentee ballot to the municipal clerk pursuant to subdivision (3) or (4) of this subsection shall present identification and, on the outer envelope of the absentee ballot, sign his name in the presence of the municipal clerk, and indicate his address, his relationship to the voter or his position, and the date and time of such return. Can I drop off someone else's ballot in a ballot drop box (such as my spouse or friend's ballot)? (B) Absentee ballots may be delivered to the county clerk in person by the administrator or by mail. Drop boxes are frequently placed intentionally in public, high-traffic spaces. The auditor or business manager of the school district, as the case The film also pointed to cellphone geolocation data, which experts say is not precise enough to identify whether someone used a drop box or simply traveled near it. (2) A candidate for office at such election and any person serving on a campaign committee for such a candidate shall not act as an agent for any registered voter requesting a ballot pursuant to this section unless such person is a member of the registered voter's family. They point to a 2018 congressional election in North Carolina, when a Republican political operative and his staff illegally gathered ballots and forged signatures, as one of the few instances of voter fraud related to ballot collection. Can someone else pick up my mail-in ballot? Voters who have already been issued an absentee ballot can still vote in person using an affidavit ballot. (d) Subject to paragraph (e) of this subsection, if (c) The ballot must be returned in the return As a result, election officials were barred from enforcing these requirements. The law says, "[A]t the request of a voter whose mail ballot has been prepared by or on behalf of the voter, a person authorized by the voter may return the mail ballot on behalf of the voter by mail or personal delivery to the county clerk, or any ballot drop box established in the county[.]"[9]. (2) Physical disability; (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a person may not knowingly collect a voter's voted or unvoted ballot. In most states, the answer is yes but there might be . The law also specifies that an individual assisting a voter who is blind or has a disability may return an absentee ballot upon signing a statement on the affidavit envelope and that such individual may not return more than four ballots unless they are a family member, nursing home administrator/staff, or residential care facility administrator/staff. Media storage device (for recorded video) Decal (branding and information) Extra keys for opening slot and access door. In total, more than half of states have laws that explicitly allow a third party to return a completed ballot, according to a tally from the National Conference of State Legislatures. How do I return my ballot?. In these cases, the voter may entrust the voted ballot to someone elsean agent or designeeto return the ballot. Am I Allowed to Drop off a Ballot for Someone Else? Voters confined to a hospital can vote an absentee ballot immediately upon delivery by a registrar or absentee ballot clerk and return it to the official. Deliver the return envelope by 1 of the following methods: (a) Place the necessary postage upon the return envelope and deposit it in the United States mail or with another public postal service, express mail service, parcel post service, or common carrier. In most states, you can drop off a ballot for someone else but there might be restrictions. Colorado law states that a voter may deliver "the ballot to any person of the elector's own choice or to any duly authorized agent of the county clerk and recorder or designated election official for mailing or personal delivery; except that no person other than a duly authorized agent of the county clerk and recorder or designated election official may receive more than ten mail ballots in any election for mailing or delivery.". The clerk shall type or write in ink the name and the residence address of the voter in the designated section of the return envelope. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r