Absentee Ballots

Palm Beach Throws out Absentee Ballots
31-Aug-04
Absentee Ballots

"Palm Beach County Democrats are upset the county's canvassing board rejected 134 absentee ballots Monday because voters were apparently absent-minded, forgetting to sign their name on the outside of the envelope. Because of mounting concerns over the integrity of electronic touch-screen voting machines, Palm Beach County was flooded with nearly 24,000 absentee ballots by Friday -- about three times the number the county had for the fall 2000 primary. But the paper ballots weren't perfect. Nearly 2 percent were initially set aside for further review -- most because voters didn't follow directions. The Palm Beach County Democratic Party lobbied the board late last week to allow the voters who forgot to sign to fill out a provisional ballot, giving them a second chance. But the board, on the advice of the county attorney, voted 2-1 against the second chance. The board felt that once a ballot entered the elections office, it couldn't be revised."