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How to Get Ready for the Nov 2006 General Election |
Do you know about Referendum Question #4? Is it more safe to vote
absentee than on the machines? Should you ask for a provisional ballot
so that you can vote on paper at your polling site? TrueVoteMD
continues to share everything it knows so that you can feel prepared
for the upcoming election. Below is an on-going list of questions and
answers. Don't see your question? Send us an email at office@truevotemd.org.
What is Referendum Question #4?
Click here
for more detailed information about Question 4.
Is voting absentee more secure than
voting on the machines?
Voting absentee PROTESTS the use of the electronic voting machines, but
is not more secure. Tabulating absentee ballots requires that the
signature on the envelope and ballot match. If any partisan election
observer challenges your ballot, it can be disqualified from the
initial vote until addressed at a later date. Requiring everyone to
vote absentee also disenfranchises our disabled population who would
not be able to vote independently and secretly if they were required to
vote absentee.
Why would my absentee ballot get rejected?
There are several reasons why your absentee ballot might be
rejected, including failure to provide sufficient identification or
failure to submit it on time. Click here to read the
official
Code of Maryland Regulation Rules for rejecting an absentee ballot.
Should I ask for a provisional ballot
so that I can vote on paper?
Do NOT ask for a provisional ballot because you want to vote on paper
and/or because you do not trust the machines. This is not a valid
reason for an Election Judge to issue you a provisional ballot, and
your ballot will most likely NOT be counted.
Under what circumstances will I be required to vote on a
provisional ballot?
The State Board of Elections provides a good overview of the
circumstances in which you would be required to vote provisionally.
Please click here
to read their summary.
I never received my absentee ballot in
time to send it by the deadline. Can I still vote?
Yes. You can go to your normal polling site and tell them that you
never received your absentee ballot. They will first confirm that the
county sent you an absentee ballot (the electronic poll book will show
you as having voted absentee). Then the election judge should issue you
a provisional ballot. Your provisional vote will be counted once the
county confirms that they never received an absentee ballot from you.
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