Jeffco Election Officials Work Through The Weekend To Fix Absentee Ballots
In late October, people started lining up at the Jefferson County courthouse to apply for absentee ballots.
Jefferson County election officials worked through the weekend to “cure” absentee ballots that are missing a notary or witness signatures, which are required by Alabama law.
Earlier this week, officials said up to 2,600 absentee ballots could be thrown out. That’s because a federal judge’s ruling, which waved the notary or witness signature requirement for voters 65 and older with underlying medical conditions, was reversed by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on October 13.
County officials said ballots cast with the waiver but postmarked after the October 13 ruling are in question and need to be “cured” for those votes to count. To “cure” a ballot, the voter would have to come to the absentee election manager’s office at the Jefferson County Courthouse to sign the affidavit envelope containing the ballot. State law prevents absentee ballots from leaving the office once they are received, meaning ballots cannot be delivered to a voter’s home to be fixed.
But identifying all the votes that need “cured” and contacting those voters has been a challenge for Jacqueline Anderson-Smith, the county’s absentee election manager, according to Jefferson County Probate Judge James Naftel.
“Normally, once a ballot is handed in it’s not looked at again until Election Day,” Naftel said. “So [Anderson-Smith] has had a very unique challenge. Because of the September 30th ruling and the October 13th ruling, we’ve operated under different guidelines. So she has definitely had to adapt on the fly and make sure all those votes can be counted.”
Naftel said they have identified all of the ballots in question. Reached on Sunday, Naftel couldn’t say how many there are. He also said local election officials planned to call those voters by the end of weekend. They’ve managed to contact some of the affected voters, but it’s unclear whether they reached them all.
Naftel said some voters have already come in to “cure” their ballots and can continue to do so before the deadline on Monday, November 2, at 5 p.m.
But what happens if your ballot is in question and you can’t get to the courthouse to “cure” your ballot before the deadline? Naftel said you can go to your polling precinct on Election Day and cast a provisional ballot.
Review by Senate Democrats finds more unreported luxury trips by Clarence Thomas
A report by Democrats on the Judiciary Committee found additional travel taken in 2021 by Thomas but not reported on his annual financial disclosure, including trips on private jets and a yacht trip.
Where did Barry Jenkins feel safe as a kid? Atop a tree
Director Barry Jenkins is best known for films like "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." On Wild Card, he opens up about where he felt the safest as a kid.
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 20, including five children
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 20 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said.
I discovered one way to fight loneliness: The Germans call it a Stammtisch
Modern life can be lonely. Some are looking to an old German tradition – of drinking and conversation – to deepen connection through regular meetups.
This Christmas I’ll be grieving. Here’s how I’ll be finding joy.
Since her husband's death, newscaster Windsor Johnston has been looking for ways to recapture joy and continue her healing journey — one that's taken her to a place she'd never expected.
On tap for the holidays: A blend of multicultural drink traditions and fond memories
For this year's All Things Considered holiday cocktail interview, we visited Providencia in Washington, D.C., a bar that brings its owners' personal stories to life.
