Learn the top 3 things voters need to know about voting by mail.

VBM Voters' Hub

Even with the Ballot Cure Act, over 6,000 voters who voted by mail still had their ballots rejected in the 2021 General Election. We can help.

Top 3 things you need to know

Click below to learn the top 3 things voters need to know about voting by mail.

The Security Features of a Mail-in Ballot

The security features of the Mail-in Ballot have resulted in tens of thousands of mail-in ballots in being REJECTED. We work hard to educate voters on these security features to ensure that their ballots count.

Unique Barcode and Voter ID

Both the bar code and voter ID appear on the original Official Mail-in Ballot envelope. They also appear on the prepaid postage return envelope and are used when tracking your vote in the Statewide Voter Registration System. Each voter has a unique barcode and voter ID. Even when you stop voting, pass away, or move out of state, that voter ID is not used again for any other voter. This feature prevents voters from voting more than once. If a voter votes by mail and then votes again at the polling station on Election Day using the provisional ballot, the elections officials will have a record in the system indicating that the voter has already voted. The provisional ballot will not be tabulated.

Certificate of Mail-in Voter

This security feature allows voters to self-certify (or declare) that they voted their ballot in secret by filling out their information – name and address – and signature. This signature is then compared to the voter’s digitized signature on file to ensure a signature match.

The Bearer's portion of the vote-by-mail ballot

All voters are permitted to have someone they designate to deliver their ballot on their behalf to the Board of Elections; these designess may also drop it off at a Ballot Drop box or at a USPS facility.

ANY TIME the voter gives their ballot to someone else, this person is called the Bearer, and the Bearer MUST fill out the Bearer portion of the ballot envelope IN THE PRESENCE OF THE VOTER for that ballot to count.
If you use a bearer, this Bearer portion must be completed and signed before the person you have designated can drop off or deliver the ballot.
If your designee comes to the county Board of Elections with a Mail-in Ballot that has not been filled out completely and signed, the ballot will be rejected.
DO NOT fill this out if you are dropping off your own ballot or delivering it yourself.

The state keeps track of all Bearers. Bearers are only permitted to carry 3 ballots per election or 5 ballots if they belong to relatives residing in the same household.

Secure Ballot Drop Boxes

You can also deposit your mail-in ballot in one of many secure, tamper-proof, weather-proof ballot drop boxes in your county. FIND YOUR NEAREST ballot drop box here. All these ballot drop boxes are protected by 24-hour cameras and all pick-ups are completed by the Board of Elections staff after which they are logged in.