If your signature doesn’t match your signature on your voter registration card, your ballot may be rejected!
My handwriting is so illegible that I often need my staff to help me read it (ugg); and my signature is just a scribble! I attribute it to my hyphenated last name “Tatsui-D’Arcy” that also has a pesky apostrophe. But now I’m worried that my vote may NOT count in the upcoming election. Apparently, sloppy handwriting can get my mail ballot tossed.
In March 2020, 14,000 mail ballots were rejected in California because the signature on the vote-by-mail envelope didn’t match the one on the registration card. Yes, this is real. My voter registration card is over 40 years old and my handwriting and signature have changed over the years. I used to have neat handwriting and you used to actually be able to read my signature. But after signing thousands of payroll checks, my signature has morphed into a series of squiggles.
According the Secretary of State Alex Padilla, over 100,000 mail ballots weren’t counted in the March election. 70% were bounced because they arrived late (postmarked after the election day), but the 2nd-highest reason was mismatched signatures.
Every county has different ways of verifying signature for mail-in ballots. Some counties will contact voters to give them the opportunity to verify their signatures, while others just reject the ballot. The easiest way to check your signature is to call the Registrar of Voters or the local Elections Dept. They will check your file and tell you if your latest signature matches their current registration card on file or the latest DMV signature on file.
Do this now, and tell your family and friends to do the same. Since you are going to vote, let’s make sure your county will accept your signature on your mail-in ballot!