New to absentee voting in New Hampshire? Don't make these mistakes

More New Hampshire voters will be casting an absentee ballot in the November election than ever before. And since the state is allowing any eligible voter to cast an absentee ballot this year because of the pandemic, many are using the process for the first time.

The vast majority of New Hampshire absentee ballots are processed and counted without any problems. However, according to federal voting data, small but significant errors — like missed deadlines, signature issues or missing envelopes — can disenfranchise hundreds of New Hampshire voters during major elections.

Absentee ballots are also “rejected” every year due to other safeguards built into the process to make sure only registered voters cast ballots and people don’t vote more than once. If someone returns an absentee ballot but later changes their mind and decides to show up at the polls to vote on Election Day before their absentee ballot is counted, for example, their original absentee ballot would be “rejected” under the processes in place to prevent double voting.

At this point, it’s unclear how many absentee ballots were rejected during the September state primary election — when a record number of New Hampshire residents voted absentee. The Secretary of State’s office has told NHPR they expect to share a preliminary summary of absentee ballot rejections by Oct. 9.

In the meantime, plenty of New Hampshire voters are already casting their absentee ballots for the general election. The Secretary of State’s office started delivering absentee ballots to city and town clerks across New Hampshire last month, and many have already been sent out to voters. (If you haven’t received yours yet, there’s no need to panic: You should expect to soon. And if you haven’t requested an absentee ballot, there’s still time to do that, too.)

Six ways you can protect your absentee ballot

We can look to other major elections from the last few years for examples of the kind of errors voters should avoid to ensure their votes are counted.

If you plan to vote absentee this year, there are some simple steps you can take to avoid having your ballot rejected:

• Don’t procrastinate. If you’re not registered to vote or you need to update your registration with a new address, try to do so as soon as possible. Your completed absentee ballot needs to arrive to your local clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. That deadline applies whether your ballot is delivered in-person or by mail. If you plan to request or return an absentee ballot by mail, don’t delay doing that, either. The state suggests allowing up to two weeks for absentee ballot delivery by mail, which would mean sending it to your clerk no later than Oct. 20. 

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• Read all directions carefully. Pay special attention to where you’re asked to add your signature. A lot of absentee ballots are rejected because voters forget to sign the affidavit printed on the envelope that holds their absentee ballot. That affidavit is what tells local election officials you’re following all of the voting rules to the best of your knowledge, so it’s really important not to skip over this step.

• Write your phone number on your absentee ballot paperwork. This will make it easier for election officials to contact you and give you a chance to correct any potential mistakes before it’s too late. While pollworkers in New Hampshire aren’t required by law to give voters this kind of notice, they are encouraged to do so.

• Don’t send back a “naked” absentee ballot. Maybe you’ve been hearing about “naked ballots” causing problems for people in other states. A similar problem has often tripped up New Hampshire absentee voters. When you receive your absentee ballot packet from your local clerk, you should receive two envelopes: Your absentee ballot goes inside the affidavit envelope that you sign. Once you seal and sign the affidavit envelope, you put that inside the other envelope that's provided in your absentee packet. Make sure you turn in both envelopes when you mail or drop off your absentee ballot. If you need to send any paperwork with your absentee ballot, you should put that inside the outer envelope, not inside the affidavit envelope. The affidavit envelope should only hold your ballot.

• If you’re mailing your ballot, don’t forget postage. New Hampshire does not prepay postage for absentee ballots, and you’ll need to use at least the equivalent of one first-class or “forever” stamp. If you include other material with your absentee ballot, like paperwork to prove your identity or where you live, you’ll need to add more postage. 

• Don’t hesitate to ask for help. If you’re worried you might mess up the process, remember that you can always reach out to your local clerk’s office. In many communities, you can also request and return your absentee ballot in-person at city or town hall. That way, you can avoid any uncertainty around postage delays and you’ll have a trained election official right there to help walk you through the process.

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These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.