Scott Allard Interviewed on NPR about How Ballots are Rejected in Washington State
Posted: 8/22/2024 (CSDE Research)
Over the last few years, CSDE Affiliate Scott Allard and his team have been conducting the Washington State Ballots Project through the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at UW. The Evans Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) has been working alongside the Secretary of State’s Office to explore voting practices in Washington State, trends and patterns of rejected mailed ballots, and more. Recently, Dr. Allard sat down with Libby Denkmann of KUOW, Seattle’s NPR news station, to discuss the question, “Nearly 99% of WA ballots are accepted, what’s going on with the 1% that aren’t?” Washington is a state that fully votes by mail, so when a ballot gets rejected it is not because of what was written inside, it is because of how the envelope was completed. Ballots have to be posted on time, stamped or dropped off at a ballot box before 8pm on election day. They also have to be signed and the signatures have to match what the state has on file. Allard’s team studied a state auditor’s report that examined the 2020 general election that focused on signature verification and mismatch. They found evidence that younger voters and voters of color were more likely to have their ballots rejected due to signature mismatches. The rest of the interview includes discussion of voting trends, the EPIC team’s study findings, how voters felt after their ballots were rejected due to signature challenges, tips on how to not have your ballot rejected, and more. Visit the link to listen to the entire interview.