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Nov 11, 2008 10:40 pm US/Central
Good Question: Why Do We Count Bad Ballots?
(WCCO)
Every ballot cast for U.S. Senate in the state of Minnesota is about to get a close look to figure out which candidate should get credit for the vote. Even though the instructions clearly tell voters to completely fill in the oval next to the candidate's name, election judges will try to figure out the voter's intent. But why do we count votes when they're not filled out correctly?
"When it comes to voting, that's the foundation upon which our democracy is built. It's a sacred right," said Mark Halverson, director of the Center for Voting Integrity, a nonpartisan group that describes its mission as advocating for "accurate and verifiable elections."
Halverson said the law doesn't require people to fill in the ballot correctly.
"There is nothing illegal about mismarking your ballot. Yes, it makes it easier for an election official to count it," he said. But, "I don't think the technical side should override the fundamental right of someone to cast their vote."
In Minnesota, and a majority of states, the standard for judging ballots is that of "voter intent." In this state, there are clear and specific examples as to what qualifies as a valid vote.
If a mark is "out of place but close enough to a name or line to determine voter intent" it counts, according to the Secretary of State. So a checkmark, an "X," a circle and underline all could count as a valid vote.
If there are two more marks in a specific race, when there's only one vote allowed, then the vote is spoiled and not counted.
For many of us who grew up taking standardized tests, this broad latitude is quite different than what would be accepted in a classroom.
"The stakes are much higher. This is about the health of our democracy," said Halverson.
And there is a history of election judges using the excuse of incorrectly marked ballots to disenfranchise certain voting groups, like African-Americans before the 1960s.
"I don't think the technical side should override the fundamental right of someone to cast their vote…. I would not want that taken away because they made an error. We all make errors. This is one error we need to give the voter the benefit of the doubt," said Halverson.
"This is a universal right for every eligible citizen to cast their ballot for candidate of their choice," he added.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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