After our piece explaining why some vote-by-mail applications were rejected In Cuyahoga County, Signal Cleveland heard from several concerned readers.
Some of you said you had used the vote-by-mail process for years without any problems and didn’t understand why your absentee ballot request ended up in the rejection pile. A few of you shared your rejection notice from the Board of Elections. Most letters said the application “was completed on a form that was not prescribed by the Ohio Secretary of State.”
But you told us your ballot request form came from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections or its website — how could that form not be acceptable?
Signal Cleveland talked with Mike West, the county board of elections’ manager of community outreach, to understand what is happening with rejected absentee ballot requests.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
We talked with people who said they sent a copy of the form on the board’s website. Why would it be rejected?
There are different reasons for an application form to be rejected. For example, if you take a screenshot of it instead of printing it, you might cut off some of the information. That wouldn’t be accepted. It is best to download the form and return it to our office.
Some voters said they dropped off a printed application at the office, and it was still rejected. Why weren’t those accepted?
New election laws went into effect in 2023. The law included using one specific vote-by-mail ballot request form. We know in past elections, groups would print their applications — newspapers did it, and community groups did it. That rule was meant to deal with all the odd-sized forms that come out and ensure voters affirm that the information they provided on the form is true.
Our team has to follow those rules. We do use a lot of temps. We train them as best we can. There is a chance one of our people could have made a mistake and rejected forms that were OK to use.
🗳️For more on this year’s November election, visit our Election Signals 2024 page.
If a person’s application was rejected because it was invalid, does the board still have that application? Is it possible to process their original application?
Yes. If you return an application generated by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, we will honor it. We have gone back in, and, after a second look, many applications were accepted. If you look at our latest vote-by-mail update [Oct 1], of the 577 applications deemed invalid, close to 500 have been resolved.
If someone receives a letter saying that their application is invalid and decides to vote in person instead of by mail, will they still be able to do so?
Yes, when they check in to vote, the poll book will indicate they were mailed a ballot so they can vote, but the ballot they fill out that day is put into a provisional envelope. If their vote-by-mail ballot does not arrive at the board within five days after the election, the provisional ballot will be accepted.
This is the week to make sure you are registered at the address where you live and that you have the proper ID.
Important voter deadlines
Absentee ballot requests must be received by the close of business on Oct 29.
West suggests folks who plan to fill out a vote-by-mail request, “Take their time, be sure to fill in their date of birth, not the day’s date, and sign it carefully. If it doesn’t look like the signature on file, it could be rejected.”
Whether you plan to vote by mail or in person, now is a good time to check your voter registration status. Some voters were removed from the rolls in July.
You can check your registration status online or call 216-443-8683.
If you need to register, use the state’s online voter registration page to sign up. You’ll need the number from your Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card and the last four digits of your Social Security number. (Ohio ID cards are available for free from the BMV.)
Or you can register in person at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, 2925 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (It’s easy to reach on RTA’s HealthLine, and parking is free.)
The deadline to register to vote in the November general election is Oct. 7. Be sure to share that date with family, friends and neighbors.
