Truth About Mail-In Voting

Ohio prioritizes convenience over election security and accuracy when it comes to no-excuse mail-in voting. If voters were fully informed about the risks that their votes may not be counted as intended, many may choose to vote in-person instead of by mail.

RISKS THAT MAIL-IN VOTES MAY NOT BE COUNTED AS INTENDED

1. Once ballots are placed in a mailbox by the Board of Elections, the chain of custody is no longer guaranteed.

2. Election officials cannot directly verify a voter’s identity in-person when ballots are mailed.

3. USPS mail delays can cause ballots to arrive after the deadline, resulting in disqualified votes.

4. Incorrect absentee ballots can be mailed, such as 50,000 to Franklin County Ohio voters in 2020.

5. Incorrect return envelopes can be mailed, such as in Montgomery County Ohio in 2024.

6. Mail-in ballots can be stolen by USPS employees and returned with forged signatures, such as occurred in the 2024 Colorado election.

7. When voters report lost ballots, replacement ballots may be issued, but if both the original and replacement are submitted, duplicate voting can occur, as seen in an Ohio 2020 election.

8. Ballots can be stolen from mailboxes and fraudulently submitted, as in the 2016 North Carolina election.

9. Ballots can be intercepted by organizers posing as helpers, altered, and submitted, as in the 2019 New Jersey election.

10. Ballots can be fraudulently requested and mailed, as in the 2023 Iowa election.

11. Ballots can be illegally duplicated and mailed, as in the 2022 New Jersey election.

12. Votes can be cast in a voter’s name without their knowledge, as in the 2024 New York election. Voters may then be told at the polls that they have already voted, effectively disenfranchising them.

13. Poll workers may override warnings about absentee ballots and allow double-voting in person, as in the 2023 Michigan election.