MATT GEPHARDT

Gephardt: What Is A Cured Ballot & How Does It Impact Utah Voters?

Nov 6, 2020, 7:48 PM | Updated: 9:01 pm

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – During the 2016 general election, more than 318,000 mail-in ballots were rejected according to an analysis by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. In many of those cases, it was because the signature was missing or didn’t match the signature election officials had on record for the voter.

Fast forward to 2020, and KSL viewers said they’ve gotten notice that their votes have been rejected. So, how can those votes be counted now that we’re past the Election Day deadline?

You will be notified if you need to cure your ballot which means you will have to sign a new affidavit. (Matt Gephardt, KSL TV) When a vote-sorting machine finds a discrepancy in your signature you have the opportunity to cure your ballot (Matt Gephardt, KSL TV)

All five key battleground states in this election allow voters to fix – or “cure” – their mailed-in ballots. While it’s too late to vote, it’s not too late to verify votes that have already been mailed in.

Election officials in Utah said since they’ve been doing the mail-in vote thing for a few years now, they have worked out most of the bugs.

“We’ve been doing this since 2016,” said Lannie Chapman, chief deputy clerk for the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office. “And, it’s a well-oiled machine.”

Chapman explained one of the things that lawmakers had to work out was what to do if the signature on a person’s mail-in-ballot did not match their official signature on file with the state.

In Utah, they decided to let voters “cure” their ballot.

“We will send you a cure letter. That cure letter will say, ‘Hey, your signature does not match. You have a chance to cure this to still be able to have your voice counted to have your ballot counted,’” she said.

There is a tight window.

In Utah, election officials must notify voters if their ballot was rejected within seven days. Then, voters must sign a new affidavit statement within two weeks of Election Day.

Because signature verification is so important, Chapman said they’ve programmed their ARS ballot-sorting machine to be picky and to kick out ballots with signatures even if they are only a bit off.

“If the signature does not look like an identical match, it does reject it,” Chapman explained.

Similar systems are used throughout the country, and Chapman said the system works well. We asked her if it was foolproof.

“With enough time and enough resources, anything can be botched,” she answered. “However, that is not the case here.”

The KSL Investigators have heard from people who have been getting calls from candidates and tight races informing them that their vote was not counted.

We confirmed that the list of people whose ballots were rejected is public record.

If you’re concerned about whether your vote was counted, you can go to vote.utah.gov or call your county clerk.

KSL 5 TV Live

Matt Gephardt

Matt Luers says the "No Soliciting" sign at his Sandy home is hard to miss, but solicitors continue...

Matt Gephardt & Sloan Schrage

What are the rules & your rights when ‘No Soliciting’ signs don’t keep salespeople at bay?

While many Utahns put up signs to keep solicitors from knocking on their doors, a man in Sandy says the knocks keep coming. He decided to Get Gephardt, who explores what those signs really mean.

11 months ago

Car driving...

Matt Gephardt

How you can lower your car insurance costs even as rates continue to climb

It would be a good time to double check with your insurance agent and make sure you are getting all the discounts available to you. Auto insurance rates are catching up with the costs of, well, everything that has gone up thanks to inflation.

11 months ago

(KSL TV)...

Matt Gephardt and Cindy St. Clair

Layton woman struggles to claim money owed to her from her dissolved business

Utah's Unclaimed Property Division has millions of dollars that it wants to reconnect with the rightful owner. But for a Layton woman, getting her money back has been easier said than done. So she decided it was time to Get Gephardt.

11 months ago

(KSL TV)...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

Get Gephardt helps Utahn get refund for not-delivered TV

If you pay hundreds of dollars for a new TV, you expect to GET the TV. But when a West Jordan woman couldn't get her TV or a refund, it was time to Get Gephardt.

11 months ago

From brakes to tires, manager Chris Pappas at Hillside Tire & Service said folks are waiting too lo...

Matt Gephardt and Cindy St. Clair

Utah vehicle safety inspections drop 92%, crashes related to equipment failure remain flat

It’s been five years since mandatory vehicle safety inspections hit the rearview mirror. Does that mean Utah roads are more dangerous? KSL Investigator Matt Gephardt digs into the crash data.

12 months ago

Tax scam...

Matt Gephardt

IRS warns of tax scams as filing deadline rapidly approaches

Procrastinators - it is crunch time! We are less than a week from the IRS filing deadline, which makes this week especially treacherous.

12 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Gephardt: What Is A Cured Ballot & How Does It Impact Utah Voters?