California Election Verification: No Standardized Training for Signature Verification, Ballots Received After Election Day

Ballot Receipt After Election Day

• 🗳️ California law allows mail ballots to be received up to seven days after election day.
• ⚠️ While ballots are reviewed for postmarks, if a ballot lacks one, it can still be counted if the voter dated it on or before election day.
• 💡 This system relies on the voter's self-dated accuracy, as USPS does not date 100% of mail.
• 📊 In contrast, 33 states require ballots to be received by election day.

Challenges in Calling Elections

• ❓ California automatically sends ballots to every registered voter, making it difficult to determine the total number of potential voters (the denominator).
• ⏳ The ability to receive ballots up to seven days after election day further complicates calling election results promptly.

Signature Verification Process

• 🔍 Signature verification workers in California receive no standardized training.
• ⚠️ Training rigor varies significantly by county, with some offering very little instruction.
• 💻 The verification process often involves comparing signatures on computer screens, sometimes simultaneously with multiple ballots.
• 🎯 Workers are expected to apply approximately 17 criteria, with a standard of proof described as beyond a reasonable doubt.