Click here for updates on this story
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (Tulsa World ) — Lawmakers next session may get a chance to vote on legislation that would allow those who mailed in defective ballots to fix them and have their votes counted.
Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, said she would carry the legislation but has not decided on the language it will contain.
She said voters who cast ballots in person and spoil their ballot are given an opportunity to fix it.
“I think the same should be true for people doing absentee ballots,” Goodwin said.
About 1% of mail-in ballots received were rejected, said Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman.
Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairwoman Alicia Andrews said other states have a process to address this issue, which is called “curing” the ballot.
“What happens now is if someone fails to sign the affidavit or their driver’s license is expired, they are given a credit for attempting to vote but their ballot does not actually count,” she said.
Tulsa County Election Board member Bruce Niemi supports a route for those who have defective mail-in ballots to correct the errors and have the ballot counted.
“There are a lot of hoops to jump through in order to have a correct affidavit and identification or notarization before that ballot is counted,” he said.
The state has the computer technology now to identify and notify voters who sent in defective mail-in ballots, he said.
Tulsa County Election Board Chairman George Wiland said he would not support this kind of legislation.
“Because there are ample instructions in the ballots mailed out to the voter that should clearly identify what is required,” he said.
Tulsa County Republican Party Chairman Bob Jack said he supports the idea in principle but is concerned about the logistics of notifying voters and getting the ballot fixed.
He said he would only support such a move if the deadline for correcting the ballot was the same deadline for those casting in-person ballots.
“I would not be a proponent of moving the line,” he said.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.