CO Be aware: Ballot Signature Confusion. Will update once I've heard back from County Registrar

[hlthe2b]

I am cross-posting this in GD because it could be an issue elsewhere and also to try to ensure Coloradoans see it that may not visit the CO group

Re: Ballot Signature Confusion

I was ready to mail back my ballot in the next day or two and then I got to the signature portion of the return envelope. My legal signature is my first name, middle initial, last name, yet my ballot showed my middle name spelled out, which I have NEVER used. I started to sign it that way, then realized I would have signed with only my middle initial when I went in last year to make my registration confidential, so I signed under the full signature that way as well.

So, now, I have to worry about being disenfranchised. Since I have not yet mailed, I have emailed the County Registrar directly (so that I have a "written" confirmation) and will share what info I get on this thread. Likewise, if I get any whiff that this is a larger issue that could affect others, I will contact all three Denver networks (and I suppose the fox affiliate) as well as Denver Post. Further, I will contact the voter protection group of Colorado-ACLU.

I hope I am worried for no reason, but BE AWARE of this issue.

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. K&R

[lark]

2. Thank you for posting.

This is important information and I have to wonder if it's a deliberate ratfucking the Dems by the repugs in charge? If so, that's a pretty significant issue and I know in a number of states would invalidate the vote, GA for example if you lived in a minority heavy district. Please post the response in both GD and Co because we all need to know what's happening so we can take action before it's too late.

Thanks again!!

#BLUEWAVE

#RESIST

[33taw]

3. If you have not mailed it yet - please go to the Clerk and Recorder's Office personally.

They may swap it out. I had a similar problem in Jeffco a few years ago and they let me replace the ballot in person.

[hlthe2b]

4. I have sent a certified email (yes you can do this) and am holding ballot until Registrar responds

directly.

Yes, I am prepared to go in person and demand a replacement, but this is bigger than my one vote.

I've also sent the voter protection group of ACLU-Colorado a "heads up".

[yonder]

5. K&R and thanks for the post

Maybe a Kobach tactic? Exact match or whatever the term of the hour is, this is a good example of how they can do this shit, I think.

Scenario: Along the line somewhere, someone was directed to change registered names to legal names. But it only applies to select precincts, so if challenged, the Secretary of State or registrar can claim that that directed change has not been completed in all of the precincts.

The devious little screwballs can continue monkeying around in those same precincts each cycle, and in the same manner, to their black little hearts content.

Good catch, hlthe2b. Sounds like you have a healthy critical/skeptical eye.

[hlthe2b]

6. I decided to use news sources' power to investigate: have emailed 3 network stations & newspapers

as well as ACLU-CO. I'm not going to give "bureaucracy" excuses and delay in responding the chance to prevail.

[Hotler]

7. Thank you. When are the Blue books coming out? nt

[hlthe2b]

8. I got both the blue book and a smaller county book last week. I think they are online as well.

There is also an ACLU guide for CO
https://aclu-co.org/2018-voter-guide/

[citizen blues]

9. Thank you for posting this!

I’m in Oregon, one of the states with voter registrations were being sold. I’m really paranoid about my vote this year!

[hlthe2b]

10. UPDATE: Believe it or not my county voter registrar just called me (no, I am NOT satisfied)

She tried so hard to deflect that "any issues would be satisfied by a panel of judges if the computer check bounces it", yet refused to commit that there was NOT a programmed "EXACT match" on the signature, though I asked her at least five times. I told her that with 100s of thousands of voters in the county and millions statewide, there would be NO way for judges to keep up with the numbers of computer-rejected ballots and those who arrived just before election day would likely NOT get counted. That if all counties (as she seemed to acknowledge) had added middle names to the signature on the return envelope, the number of people who would not know how to sign would be immense.

She tried all the tricks to deflect and told me if I had volunteered as a election judge I'd be reassured, to which I asked how the rest of the state voters were going to be reassured, especially as they see the tactics going on in other states? She of course brushed that off as having interest only in CO, to which I told her that loss of confidence nationwide was surely going to require her to do everything possible to reassure Colorado voters. I asked a total of 8 times if she would put in writing that a full signature with middle name, a signature with middle initial, or both would not get rejected by the computer programming if the signature elements were otherwise the same. She kept deflecting but when I told her I would agree to share that info with the media with whom I'd already contacted and help deflect IF I was convinced what she said was true, she begrudgingly suggested she would. I have my doubts....

VOTERS beware~!

[librechik]

11. Yikes! Thanks, hlthe2b! n/t

[hlthe2b]

12. Update 2: After speaking with registrars in multiple counties, I don't have a good answer except

they all express confidence that one way or another valid signatures will make it through whether they include the middle name or not. I could not get an answer as to why the middle names were seemingly added to the return envelop ballot nor why it was not addressed in the instructions, nor whether or not the programming to screen signatures would reject based on inclusion or exclusion of the full name if that on file was different in exclusion/inclusion of these elements. The assumption was that the voter panels of reviewing judges would catch any problems.

SO MAIL IT IN EARLY!!! That's my best recommendation. I did hear from Channel 9 News Political DIrector today. He expressed belief that the system will "work" and said he felt reassured after talking to the Denver voter integrity representative; still after several email discussions, I did get a pledge from him to inquire further.

[hlthe2b]

13. Update 3: just contacted by ACLU-CO

They responded to my email stating that:

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The bulk of our inquiries and concerns with voting pertain to this signature verification process. We are tracking these issues and will challenge any disenfranchisement.

Please keep us posted and let me know if you’d like to discuss with a call."

That might be the one response thus far that reassures me....

[pnwmom]

14. In our state you go can online and see if your ballot has been accepted.

Do they have that in CO, too?

We also have to put down a contact number or email address on the outer envelope, so they can contact us if there's a problem with the signature. Is that part of your ballot?

[LAS14]

15. Send your info to Rachel Maddow too. She's been doing some good...

... stuff about voter suppression.