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+--- Thread: beware of spoiled ballots (/showthread.php?tid=14024)
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beware of spoiled ballots - steve1 - 07-23-2014
Some of the glue and part of the secrecy envelope got stuck to my absentee ballot. I called the County Elections office to find out if a tiny bit of glue and paper from the secrecy envelope would disqualify the ballot and the clerk said it would be considered a spoiled ballot and not counted.
She is sending me a replacement ballot but she also mentioned that they were having to replace a number of ballots that got ruined by the recent humidity reacting with the envelope glue.
If you need to call County Elections for a replacement absentee ballot, their phone # is 961-8277.
And please remember to vote. It may be the only time a politician actually cares what you think!
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - Carey - 07-23-2014
Thank you, I am in one of the "can only vote by absentee ballot" precincts, & my return envelopes are completely sealed shut (I had not even thought that would invalidate my vote!)
Note to county/state elections...you are in a humid environment ... find out how to ship the elections materials without spoiling the ballots in transit!
I had to call twice (once was forwarded & was hung up on after 8 rings) I was told I would need to go into the office, when I explained that was not convenient, I was told Cori would need to approve resending the 2 envelopes (and 2 for the other voter!)
ADD: Talked to Cori & Pat, the replacements will be sent out....(although both of them would only state that the resealing the pre-sealed envelopes MAY call the ballots into question...the initial talk with the desk clerk seemed to be that it would...)
way more hassle than I would have expected.... if only the county could gain a technology to allow them to have envelopes that do not seal in humid weather!
(oh wait, is there already an envelope out there that does not seal in humid weather... DUHHHH)
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - kalakoa - 07-23-2014
technology to allow them to have envelopes that do not seal in humid weather
The technology exists, but it would cost more, and contracts are always awarded to the lowest bidder. See also: safety stickers that can be "wiped clean" -- preventing this would have cost an extra 16 cents/sticker.
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - lavalava - 07-23-2014
Is this just another CoH screwup or are these sticky sweaty ballots a state wide issue?
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - kalakoa - 07-23-2014
Self-sealing return envelopes are a problem in humid climates. No matter who sends them. Return envelopes in all my bills are sealed shut before I pick up the mail.
Easiest workaround is to pay bills online ... but that requires broadband.
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - Carey - 07-23-2014
I think that it is the timing of the storms & shipping...our ballots came mid-last week, on the rainiest day that we have had in quite a while & was delivered to our curbside box....
I do not really fault the elections, except for the fact I really had no idea that by sliding a knife under & then re-glueing the envelopes, I would/could be invalidating my votes
Yes, I do realize that there is an extra cost for different envelopes or a piece of tissue or wax paper between the seal, but with all of the printing they print on the envelopes, a "caution: Please only use the original seal for this envelope, re-sealing could invalidate your vote" would not really cost anything & would alert those of us that are not thinking about the importance of the integrity of the envelope!
ADD: another way to look at this, add up all of the money each of the politicians is spending to GET my vote, vs, the cost of the envelopes with the pull off strip...
Also, must add in the cost that the county "saves" by eliminating the voting site for our precinct, making the only option we have absentee ballot....
Man, those new fangled envelopes seem a bargain when you add up all of that!
I guess it really is in the best interest of the EAST SIDE POLITICIANS to get the word out of the potential to spoil the ballots, as they really do have the most to lose if a number of east side ballots are spoiled due to the humid weather....
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - Royall - 07-23-2014
I would suggest steaming the envelope open if it is stuck closed. It will reseal good as new when you are ready to send it. Easier than hoping they get a new envelope to you before its too late, and you have to drive in to get one!!
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - PauHana - 07-23-2014
I believe the State pays for elections unless it is a County only special election.
It is also the State that determines the precincts not the County.
The County my hire the girl on the front desk, but she is not the one in charge.
The big looser if lots of senior ballots come in "Spoiled" will be Hanabusa, in my opinion, because her support is in the seniors (the largest group of absentees) and neighbor islands.
Hello hanging chads, now it's a Federal problem.
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - Carey - 07-23-2014
Hey Royall.... um... I am missing the steaming appliance.... someday....
These buggers are sealed tight, even the 'put in the freezer to release them' didn't budge the seal.
After talking to both Cori & Pat (supervisors, not the front desk personnel) I think that if the envelopes look like someone opened the seal, the ballot will most likely be invalidated.... So this places the validity on someone looking at the envelopes. That means they may actually have someone looking at each & every envelope determining if the seal was tampered....
Seems like there is a lot of money invested on these envelopes (with all of the printing, the special "gill" and "hole" cuts). That "zip strip" seal doesn't seem all that out there in cost
And to those who are used the mailed bill envelopes being sealed, Is your payment invalidated if you open & re-seal the envelope? Do those envelopes have "gill" cuts or other anti-tamper devises? Are they printed in just about every place around the envelope (Ok, that may be sorta similar)? (I do remember some bills came with a tear off ad type thing on the inside, to keep the envelope from sealing & to add area for ad space....may the county/state could look to those & place all of the 'do nots', like 'Only use the original seal - do not re-seal this envelope'...
If you have not seen an absentee ballot envelope, these are not your off the shelf things, a lot of money was put into the design of them!
RE: beware of spoiled ballots - kalakoa - 07-23-2014
a lot of money was put into the design of them
Lots of money went into the new safety sticker system, too.
I'm constantly amazed that nobody tests for actual real-world conditions.