2024 Election: Maricopa Co. details signature verification process for mail-in ballots
The election process has been in the spotlight lately, especially mail-in ballots and how they are verified.
On Feb. 14, officials with the Maricopa County Election Office showed us how the process works.
Once the ballot arrives, the verification process begins. The process starts with cross-checking every signature a person has on file: ones that have followed a person for their entire life.
"When you went to go check in at your paper roster, you put a signature. We have it," said Mail-In Voting Director Reynaldo Valenzuela. "You went and checked on the new electronic poll books, we have that signature. You voted for several decades by mail ballot, we have that signature. "
Maricopa Co. details ballot verification process
The election process has been in the spotlight lately, especially with mail-in ballots and how they are verified. On Feb. 14, officials with the Maricopa County Election Office showed us how the ballot signature verification process works. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.
Then, trained staff look for a person's particular writing style. There are six characteristics in all: from curvy loops to straight lines, from proportion to position. They can also account for signature changes over the years.
"A lot of folks sometimes panic. ‘Which signature should I get?’" said Valenzuela. " I’m gonna say, as a public information: the one you normally use."
Then the worker can either confirm a signature match, or flag it as ‘an exception,’ sending it to the second level, all without ever seeing who the person voted for.
"That’s where they must concur that it is consistent, or make the decision that with all of the other signature examples, I can make this good," said Valenzuela.
If that’s not enough, election officials are required by law reach out to the voter in question in person. All of that is followed by a 2% random test of all ballots.
"Just know that it is a safe and secure process," said Valenzuela. "It goes through multi-tiers and levels of verification for it to get to the tabulators."
Officials said AI, despite some misconception, is not part of the vote counting system - if it happens in the future, lawmakers will have to approve it first.
Track Your Ballot - Maricopa County
https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/track-your-ballot.html