What To Do About the County's Ballot Error

This week, the Nevada County Elections Office shared that a printer's error on vote-by-mail ballots could delay election results. The error, they say, is an issue with "ink overspray on some ballots that is preventing our election equipment from processing those ballots." They don't know which ballots have this issue.

The Election Integrity Officer for the Nevada County Republican Party, Amy Young, went in to cast her vote-by-mail ballot in person so she could experience firsthand the issue that many voters have already encountered: the ballot scanner rejects the vote-by-mail ballot. While waiting in line to check in to vote, she also talked one-on-one with the Assistant Registrar of Voters  Corey O’Hare about the issue. Corey was forthcoming and helpful.

What we learned:

  1. If you drop your vote-by-mail ballot in a drop box, and if your ballot is one that has an overspray issue and doesn't scan, the elections office will duplicate the ballot onto a clean ballot and scan again. They use a duplication machine to do this.

  2. If you bring your vote-by-mail ballot to a vote center, and scan it there, you will be able to see firsthand if there's an issue. If so, the vote center staff will print a fresh ballot for you to fill out and cast..

  3. To avoid any chance of the error altogether: If you choose to vote in person at a vote center, you do not need to bring your vote-by-mail ballot with you. Just tell the vote center staff that you would like to vote in person with a fresh ballot. They will cancel your vote-by-mail ballot and print a new ballot for you.

  4. Voting a fresh ballot at a vote center is NOT the same as voting provisionally. Provisional ballots are provided in different circumstances.

However you choose to vote, the Elections Office assured us that your vote will be counted.

Our recommendations:

  1. Vote in person. All you have to do is walk into a vote center during open hours and ask for a fresh ballot. If you have a disability and need curbside assistance to vote in person, call the elections office at 530-265-1298.

  2. Drop your vote-by-mail ballot in our dropbox at the NCRP Headquarters (2038 Nevada City Highway, Grass Valley, by B&C Hardware). We document all ballots received, deliver them to the Elections Office for you, and then follow up to make sure your ballot is counted.

  3. Vote early, especially if voting in person. Amy noticed when she went in to vote that the wait time was significant.

The Nevada County Republican Party cares deeply about election integrity. We are monitoring this situation closely and will have trained observers on-site to watch all aspects of the election, including the duplication process. We also want you to know that all people have the right to observe the election - no special credential or training is required. The elections office also encourages people to come in and observe.

If you have any concerns, you can ask any questions of our NCRP Election Integrity team. If you vote provisionally or experience anything that doesn’t seem right, we want to know about it. Call or text (530) 478-1467 - we will be happy to hear from you and look forward to responding to your concerns!

Best,

Nevada County Republican Party

Election Integrity Officers