What can you can do if your ballot gets rejected?

November 3rd is around the corner with millions of Americans having cast their ballot at early voting sites or from home via mail-in ballot. However, the situation surrounding the general election has been changing rapidly. There is uncertainty over different state election rules, deadlines, and technical issues.

Indeed, more than 500,000 ballots were rejected in this year's primaries due to mistakes such as mismatched signatures.

With many people voting by mail for the first time, many ballots get rejected due to mistakes. These mistakes, however, do not always invalidate your vote.. Depending your state’s election process, you may have a chance to ‘cure’ your ballot and ensure that your ballot gets processed and counted.

Why did my ballot get rejected?  Ballots can be rejected for missing required information or for not being returned properly. For example, in Pennsylvania, if you put your ballot in a postage-paid addressed return envelope, but not in the secrecy envelope, your ballot would get rejected. In North Carolina, your ballot can get rejected because it did not have a witness signature. Another common reason missing your signature or your signature didn’t match match official records.

How do I know if there’s a problem with my ballot? In 18 states, like California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, election officials notify voters about errors with their ballot. Regardless of what state you live, you should track the status of your ballot and really confirm that your ballot was received and counted.

So my ballot is rejected. Can I “cure” or fix my ballot? This depends on the state you live in. Call your local election office about the ballot curing process in your state. Methods to fix your ballot vary. It may involve signing an affidavit confirming your ballot, correcting your signature, or voting on a replacement ballot.

How much time do I have to cure my ballot?  This depends on the state you live in. Call your local election office about the ballot curing process in your state.

How quickly will my vote be counted?  We learn that many states will not begin counting ballots unit November 3rd. See the information by state via the NY Times. Some states, however, already began inspecting ballots and notifying voters of any issues. Other states, like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are legally required to wait until November 3rd to process the ballot and count votes.

Due to increased mail-in ballots, varying state election laws, and time zones, the results of this general election may not be known on the night of November 3rd. We may not know the result even days and weeks after election night. To make sure your vote counts, drop off your mail-in ballot as soon as possible, track your ballot, and if it is rejected, go through steps to fix your ballot. Otherwise, vote in person.