City of Philadelphia estimates 55K of mail-in ballots returned
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Close to 100,000 voters received mail-in and absentee ballots in the Philadelphia primary election. So far, the city reports an estimated 55,000 have been returned.
But a couple thousand of those came back with issues that could jeopardize those votes.
Some people's mail-in and absentee ballots are at risk of going uncounted. Just about 2,500 names are on the lists from the Philadelphia City Commissioner's Office.
That number hasn't changed much since our report from Monday. At City Hall Tuesday, people have been trickling in, mostly to drop off ballots.
When you walk through these doors, you see two staff members checking each ballot for the secrecy envelope, signature, and date. Those are minor mistakes voters make that can cause issues with the ballot.
Before your mail-in vote is counted, election officials must first make sure your ballot is submitted correctly.
"I made a mistake on it, and I consider myself able to read directions," one voter said.
Looking at the latest numbers from the Philadelphia Board of Elections:
- 142 people submitted naked ballots, meaning it was not sent in the secrecy envelope
- 71 are missing signatures
But the most common mistake was issues with the date. Close to 1,500 people left their ballot undated or put the wrong date.
Another 800 still need to verify identification by providing a driver's license number, photocopy of their ID, or the last four digits of their social security number.
City commissioners say without those elements your vote will not count.
"Every year this is a problem, people don't return their ballots and they don't vote," Omar Sabir, vice chair, city commissioner, said.
City officials are notifying voters by text and email.
