JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4JAX is looking at the integrity of the election process in Duval County.
It’s still four weeks before election day – but some voters are already sending in their completed vote-by-mail ballots.
More than 100,000 vote-by-mail ballots have been requested in Duval County. The signature on each returned ballot has to be checked and verified. Workers at the election center are opening each envelope. They are not looking at the ballot -- only opening them so a computer can begin the verification process of the signature. The envelopes are fed into a machine which photographs each signature. It is later verified with human eyes that it matches what is on file.
If it does not match the voter will be notified and will have a chance to fix it or what Robert Phillips, the chief elections officer in Duval county, calls a cure.
RESOURCES: Voter’s Guide
“We’ve had less than hundred so far,” Phillips said. “Some have been problems have been where a husband and wife signed the wrong ballot. Others have not signed the envelope at all. Most were signatures that don’t match what’s on file. Those voters will be notified and will have a chance to correct it so their vote will be counted.”
They actually have up to two days after the election to “cure” their ballot.
How votes and signatures are verified have gotten a lot of attention since the last presidential election. That is why the Supervisor of Election’s office is hosting groups of people to monitor the process. Karyn Morton who heads up a group called the Duval County Election Integrity Team was there on Tuesday with other members.
“We are here to kind of keep an eye on things,” Morton said. “There is a lot of concern in Florida and around the county about possible issues. I don’t personally think we have a big problem in Duval county. But it’s always important to watch.” Morton added.
If you want to see this process for yourself to make sure everything is on the up and up --this coming Friday afternoon at the Election Center -- they are actually going to be doing testing and verifying the accuracy of the voting machines. It is open to the public.
Midnight Tuesday is the last chance to register to vote in the midterm election next month. But you can still change your address, name and update your signature with the election office anytime up until election day November 8.