(C) Pennsylvania Capital-Star
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Give voters a chance to correct their mail ballot mistakes • Pennsylvania Capital-Star [1]
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Date: 2024-08-09 10:00:18+00:00
By Faith Genser
I’m an American citizen, a voter, and a resident of Butler County — but this year, my most important democratic right was stripped from me.
I was born and raised in southwest Pennsylvania, and, while I left for college and work, I came home in 2016 to care for my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She passed away in 2021, and I stayed here.
I read the news, I’m informed, and I believe it’s important to make my voice heard. It’s my right to make my voice heard. My professional background is in community advocacy, and I know firsthand how important our democratic process is to create change and build a better future.
This spring, I decided to vote by mail. It was the best option that made sense for me in the primary, and I’ve used it before with no problems at all.
I made a mistake. Everyone is busy, doing and thinking about 100 things at once, and I forgot to put my ballot in the secrecy envelope inside the mailing envelope. Because of this mistake, my ballot did not count, and Butler County would not let me correct the mistake. I’m perfectly capable of deciding who I want to vote for, and I did that on my ballot. Small, technical errors shouldn’t silence me or any other voter. And I did everything in my power to correct it.
A few weeks before Election Day, I received an email letting me know that I made a mistake and my ballot would not be counted. I immediately called the Butler County elections office and asked what I could do to address the issue and make sure my vote would be counted. I was told it was a fatal flaw that could not be corrected. I asked about the provisional ballot process, which was mentioned in the email. I know people who have used this before, and, if my mail ballot wasn’t to be counted anyway, why couldn’t I cast a provisional ballot? It’s an option that’s existed for more than 20 years.
On Election Day, I went to my polling place and submitted a provisional ballot. A few days later, Butler County decided not to count my provisional ballot, on the basis that I had already submitted a mail ballot, even though that mail ballot had a flaw and would not be counted. My provisional ballot should have been counted, since the county already disqualified my mail ballot. Provisional ballots exist to preserve the right to vote while things like these are sorted. They are for people who did not return their mail or absentee ballot, made other technical errors on their mail ballot, or maybe showed up at the wrong polling location. We shouldn’t be silenced for the smallest mistakes. We’re registered, legal voters, and Butler County has ignored not only the spirit of our democratic process, but also the technical, legal remedy process.
Our votes are the great equalizer. No matter how much money, status, or power you have out in the world, our votes are equal. If you’re Black, brown, white, man, woman, you get one vote … and that vote should be counted.
Butler County allows voters to correct other types of mistakes, such as a missing signature or date on the outer envelope. The mistake I made should be no different. This year, it was me that made a mistake. But in the next election, it could be anyone; it could be you. Voting isn’t a technical test of skills. It is our sacred right in this country, and no county should have the discretion to strip us of that right. The Board of Elections should protect my vote, not work to silence it.
That’s why I’m suing Butler County.
I want them to count my vote from April and to never disenfranchise another voter for mistakes that can be easily corrected. We should be allowed to fix simple errors. I’m not asking to change who I voted for, I’m asking that a simple envelope not invalidate all my choices to lead our community.
We are each granted one voice, one vote and that vote should be counted.
Faith Genser is one of two plaintiffs in Genser and Matis v. Butler County Board of Elections, a case filed by the ACLU – PA and the Public Interest Law Center.
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