VC Opts For Mail Ballots

At their regularly-scheduled meeting on Aug. 19, the Valley County Commissioners voted unanimously to move to a mail ballot election, with the option of in-person voting, for the 2020 general election. Ballots will be mailed out for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, election on Oct. 9. Voters may vote in person at the county election office (in the Valley County Courthouse) 30 days prior to the election. Same-day registration will also be in place.

Valley County Clerk and Recorder Taryn Aberg gave three reasons for recommending the county move to a mail ballot election this year. The first reason, and most prominent, was the COVID-19 pandemic. She referenced Governor Steve Bullock’s directive from Aug. 6 of this year which empowered counties to select a mail ballot election for the 2020 primary election. Her second reason, directly tied to the pandemic, was the current lack of manpower for the polls, noting that many of the pollworkers in the county have historically been elderly. The cost effectiveness and cost savings of a mail ballot election were Aberg’s third reason for recommending the change.

A mail ballot, or absentee package, will be sent to all active voters in Valley County Friday, Oct. 9, with the option of in-person voting through election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters will be able to fill in their ballot at home and return it by mail or deliver it directly to the courthouse. If a voter chooses in-person voting, they will be required to sign an affidavit at the courthouse before receiving a ballot and vote. A ballot will be issued to replace the mailed ballot, and the original mail ballot will be canceled.

Aberg noted that a vast majority of both registered and active voters in Valley County are absentee voters and that only a small percentage showed up at the polling station at the Civic Center in the past election to vote in person. She further assured the commissioners that her staff takes the time to contact any voters whose ballots are returned as undeliverable.

County attorney Dylan Jensen agreed with Aberg’s recommendation, saying, “I think it gives more flexibility for in-person voting since you’re not bound to that one day if you want to come vote in person and if you don’t want to rely on the mail at all.” He added that the change would also keep the county in line with the governor’s directives, which have been mostly aimed at businesses and governmental offices, “if we can take steps to minimize any large gatherings, that’s kind of what’s important to public policy right now, whether you agree with it or not...”

Aberg addressed concerns regarding ballot drop-off locations. “We won’t be having those, because they need to be manned,” she said. “That’s where my concern would be with ballot fraud.” A short discussion followed regarding the likelihood of fraud and procedures in place to prevent it. “We’re lucky enough to live in a small enough place where we know people, we can suspect fraud,” Aberg added.

In any cases of suspected voter fraud, the Clerk and Recorder’s office would hold the suspect ballot and contact the Commissioner of Political Practices. Aberg assured the Courier that she knows of no cases of voter fraud in Valley County. She further stressed that the procedures in place for checking in ballots, such as the bar codes and signature verifications, are critical in detecting and deterring voter fraud.

Aberg outlined the process for checking in ballots and signature verification for the commissioners, and discussed how the barcode on ballot envelopes is used, pointing out the barcode is only for checking in ballots and verifying signatures. A two-step process is used for signature verification, with one person scanning in the barcode and a second person checking the signature. Signatures are verified against voter registration cards. If signatures do not match, the ballots are rejected. However, in Valley County, every attempt is made to contact the voters to rectify a mismatched signature.

While some voters have multiple signatures on file, workers in the Clerk and Recorder’s office are trained every two years in how to verify signatures and detect fraud. “We look for signature tendencies,” Aberg explained, “how the signature leans, how letters are formed, that kind of thing.”

A handout prepared by Aberg also addressed many concerns regarding mail ballots, such as who receives ballots and the postal service. In it, she pointed out that with the exception of federal and statewide elections, all elections in Valley County are conducted by mail ballot with an in-person option and that Valley County has “highly developed processes for conducting elections by mail ballot.”

Any questions regarding the upcoming election can be directed to the Clerk and Recorder’s office, located in the Valley County Courthouse, 228-6220.