Today I went to pick up my mail at the post office from the past 4-5 weeks and discover a letter from the Chelan County Auditor's Office:
Dear Voter,
The Absentee/Vote-By-Mail ballot that you voted and returned in the recent election has not been processed for the following reason:
SIGNATURE ON BALLOT DOES NOT MATCH THE SIGNATURE CURRENTLY ON FILE IN THE CHELAN COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS, RCW 29.36.060 (Enclosed is a new Registration Card to update our records)
Properly fill out and sign all materials enclosed, and return them to us no later than November 17th, 2004. Please be aware that if these materials are received by the aforementioned date, YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT. However, if you fail to submit the enclosed items by the date requested, your ballot will not be counted.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in the election process. We will be anticipating your reply with the hopes that we can count your vote.
I've had the same signature for over a decade. In the six years that I've been using an absentee ballot, there has never been a single problem with my vote.
Until now.
I wonder why that is?
Good thing I checked my mail, because usually I go months before I bother. I wonder how many other votes weren't counted because of stupid stuff like this? It would certainly explain a lot.
Argh. Another four years of being hated when visiting foreign countries because we have a president I didn't vote for and don't agree with most of the time.
I should have became a pirate and stolen the cruise ship after all.
UPDATE: After visiting the courthouse, I found that they were using a signature from 20 years ago when I registered to vote... not the signature on my absentee ballot request of 8 years ago. Bizarre. I changed my signature on purpose, I wonder how many people unintentionally change their signature over 20, 30, even 50 years from when they first register? Seems kind of flakey to me.
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Hi Dave. I’m new to your blog, I’ve been checking yours for a while.
I’ll ask if you voted for Bush or not before I get to hate an American. 🙂
That’s kind of you! Hatred is a very powerful and destructive thing. If people must feel hate, they should at least be sure the target of their wrath is worthy of it.
I have never had somebody be outwardly hostile to me when visiting a foreign country, probably because I try so hard to be a considerate visitor.
BUT, even though people are kind on helpful on the OUTSIDE, it is shocking to feel the depth of people’s hatred on the INSIDE. In Japan, this is known as “tatemae and honne.”
I try to understand that such feelings are not directed specifically to me, but it is still sad to be so far from home and have to feel such hatred in the world.
But they do say that “your vote will count”. In fact they make a point of it. I’d assumed that the results of the US election were – sadly – all done and dusted. But it seems not. *You* now hold it in your power to change the election and save America in the eyes of the world…
Washington State went to Kerry, so my vote isn’t going to change anything. My point is that if the letter were lost, or if I had waited a week to check my mail, then my vote would NOT count. All because they claim my signature doesn’t match. I am sorely tempted to request a look at what signature they have on file. It very well could be dated and different, but it’s really odd that it has only become an issue just now.
You’re going to HAVE to ask to see your signature now, because we are all very curious.