Clock is ticking to correct mail-in ballots in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Thousands of residents who voted by mail are at risk of having their ballots thrown out and time is ticking to fix the problem.
As voters pile into their polling place Tuesday, some who sent in mail-in ballots were confused as to why they had to return to their drop-off areas.
"I must've signed it wrong because I asked him, 'What did I do?'" voter Juanita Barnes told CBS3. "He said he couldn't tell me that."
Barnes is one of about 3,800 Philadelphia voters who we're told their mail-in ballots were at risk of being thrown out.
Officials say the ballots in question were either unsigned, undated or in the wrong envelope and to correct it they would need a replacement ballot or have to vote in person.
"At its peak, some people were actually turned away yesterday," Rabbi Shawn Zevit said, "and had to come back today because there was just too many people here."
"It's quite a burden because now I have to wait in line for an hour," voter Margaret Lenzi said. "I'm glad to do it, but it's a few hours of anybody's time to correct a mistake that doesn't need to be corrected."
Eighty-seven-year-old Ed Keenan returned to City Hall to fix the issue after he sent his ballot in three weeks ago.
"I was also doing my bills and I forgot to put the ballot in the blue envelope," Keenan said, "and after I came back from the post office, I realized that."
The Republican National Committee says under state law election officials should not count votes that aren't properly signed and dated, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed.
"I think there's probably a lot of support that the voting system needs right now," voter David Daigneault said, "and it probably stretches beyond mail-in ballots."
While some voters received text messages and emails notifying them of the issue, Barnes said she also got a notice on her front door. It said her ballot was canceled and she needed to act by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
"They said in there -- this was bogus," Barnes said. "He looked at it, he said, 'I can tell you right off this is bogus.'"
The notice is from a campaign committee and not the Philadelphia Board of Elections.
Officials are advising everyone to check the official list and make the proper adjustments.
"Voting is such an essential aspect of American society and we need our votes to count," Sue Elwell said.
The city commissioner said in a tweet that "The staff (including sheriff's officers) are doing the best they can to help as many voters as possible with very little time and resources."
I feel awful for any voters who were turned away after the line into City Hall had to be cut off. The staff (including the sheriff's officers) are doing the best they can to help as many voters as possible with very little time and resources. https://t.co/EHSyQ8W2rg
— Commissioner Seth Bluestein (@SethBluestein) November 7, 2022
If your name is on this list you can go to City Hall to correct any discrepancies. You can also view the list here:
Lists of Philadelphia residents who returned ballots in the above categories are available in PDF or Excel formats here:
No signature: (pdf) or (xlsx)
No date: (pdf) or (xlsx)
Potentially incorrect date: (pdf) or (xlsx)
Not enclosed in a Secrecy Envelope (a.k.a. Naked Ballots): (pdf) or (xlsx)
Philadelphians have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to request a replacement ballet at City Here to ensure their vote is counted.