JLF Western N.C. Blog

Don’t Play with Your Ballot

Somebody started a rumor that voters filling out the paper ballots in Buncombe County could fill in the straight party ellipse of their choice, and then deselect particular candidates by filling in the appropriate ellipses below. I have heard from two other people, including a higher-up from the Board of Elections, that doing this will invalidate the ballot. Not privy to the ballot scoring code, I do not know who is correct, but at least you are smart enough not to try anything that might invalidate your ballot. The unspecified higher-up also assured me hurricane touchdown areas will be ready for voting by or before election day.

2 Responses to “Don’t Play with Your Ballot”

  • Nov
    02
    2012

    The scanning machines in Buncombe County will reject a ballot marked in this way and tell you what the problem is so you can start over with another ballot.

  • Nov
    02
    2012

    Thanks for checking. I’d heard different stories from Election Services people. I know at least one maven who is going around telling folks to mark the straight party oval and then deselect individuals. It’s good to know the poll workers will give the mistken voters a second chance.

    The Buncombe County ballots also have some weird verbiage supposedly addressing this which is not clear at all:

    b. You may vote a Straight Party AND ALSO vote for a candidate of a different party in any individual office.
    c. In any multi-seat office, a Straight Party vote is a vote for ALL candidates of that party. If you individually vote for any candidate in a multi-seat office, you must also individually mark all other candidates in that office for whom you wish to vote in order for all votes for that office to be counted.

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