Here is why more than 2,000 Tri-Cities primary ballots were rejected

The ballots of about 2,100 voters in Benton and Franklin counties didn’t get counted this month.

More than half or 1,220 were rejected because they didn’t arrive in the mail on time.

It’s not a new problem but local elections officials say it doesn’t need to happen.

The 800 late ballots in Benton County was up slightly from last year. But the 420 late Franklin County ballots was double the number of last year’s tardy arrivals.

Both counties saw the highest voter turnout in a decade — nearly 49 percent of the 38,800 ballots sent out in Franklin County and almost 54 percent of the 117,990 ballots in Benton County.

While the election has brought out voters across the state, it’s also been a challenge for auditors who are trying to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic while making sure they can vote.

And recent news reports about U.S. Postal Service funding issues have raised concerns about getting ballots delivered and returned on time for the general election in November.

“We go to a lot of work to send out 117,000 ballots,” Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton told the Tri-City Herald. “Our highest priority is getting the message out to the public to make sure their ballot is returned in a timely manner.”

The decision to reject a ballot is in the hands of the three-member county canvassing board, which normally includes the auditor, the chair of the county commissioners and the county prosecutor.

Any member of the board can assign a replacement, particularly when one of the members is a candidate in the election. For instance, County Commission Chairman Jim Beaver in Benton County was replaced by Commissioner Shon Small because Beaver was up for election this year and his name was on the primary ballot.

Post office woes

Washington’s nearly 15-year-old vote-by-mail system is being looked at by many states as a way for people to vote that doesn’t contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

As states were looking at making the switch, President Donald Trump criticized voting by mail.

But Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who is also a Republican, vigorously defends the safety of the vote-by-mail process.

“The President’s and (U.S.) Attorney General’s continued consternation with vote-by-mail is precisely why I invite them to come to Washington state to see firsthand how my office and Washington’s 39 county election officials have worked diligently to build in robust security measures so people can vote safety this fall,” Wyman said in a late July statement.

And she said state elections officials already have been talking with county auditors about the next election, including concerns about the postal service.

“They have given us multiple assurances that the ballots are going to get to the voters,” Chilton said. “They are making mailing ballots a priority.”

While the U.S. Postal Service aims to postmark envelopes with the day they are put in the mailbox, that’s not always possible in areas where mail is processed in another city. Mail in the Tri-Cities is processed 135 miles away in Spokane, for example.

So, Tri-Cities election officials recommend voters get their ballots in the mailbox a week early to make sure they arrive in time to be counted.

Benton and Franklin counties also have multiple drop boxes available where voters can leave their ballot.

While the auditors will wait until 8 p.m. to pick up the ballots, according to state law they are required to close the boxes at that time. A few stragglers during the Aug. 4 primary tried to return them after the deadline.

Bad signatures

While late ballots were the main reason votes were rejected during the Aug. 4 primary, it’s not the only problem, Chilton said.

In Benton County, 800 ballots had late postmarks and 680 had other problems — mostly that the voter didn’t sign it or because the signature didn’t match the one on file.

In Franklin County, 420 were postmarked too late, 60 had no signature, 130 had questionable signatures and 20 others had another problem.

“It’s really important that you sign your ballot,” Chilton said. “We rejected a number of ballots because the voter didn’t sign.”

When that happens, the voter is sent a letter and is given a few days to return the signed ballot.

Benton County elections officials also try to reach the voter by phone to fix the problem.

A mismatched signature can happen because the person is rushed or their signature has changed over time. There are people trained in signature recognition who review the ballots and if it is suspicious, they will flag it.

If it’s flagged, the ballot gets a second look by a supervisor and a third look by the canvassing board before it’s rejected.

“Make sure you sign your ballot. When you sign, make sure you sign it with your official signature, and make sure you return your ballot in a timely manner,” she said.

Anyone with questions about the process can reach the Benton County Auditor’s Office at 509-736-3085 or by email at elections@co.benton.wa.us.

Franklin County’s Election Department can be reached at 509-545-3538 or elections@co.franklin.wa.us.

This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.