![]() Put simply, ballot harvesters have the ability to determine not only which ballots to collect, but also which ballots to return and which to discard. Due to the lack of administrative oversight, bad actors can determine the fate of the ballots they collect. Any number of issues can happen as a result, with little recourse for voters who are affected.īallot harvesters often have ulterior motives and incentives for collecting and returning particular ballots. But ballot harvesting puts this same power not in the hands of trained election officials but in the hands of private citizens with minimal accountability. During the election cycle, election administrators are tasked with maintaining and transporting thousands of ballots. The first threat stems from the lack of oversight given to the handling of ballots in mail voting systems and the chain of custody that mail ballots pass through once they leave the supervision of election officials. Ballot harvesters will repeat this process to deliver as many ballots as possible before the deadline, which is usually Election Day.īallot Harvesting Threatens the Fairness and Honesty of Electionsīallot harvesting currently presents one of the greatest threats to election integrity for multiple reasons. ![]() If the voter consents, the ballot harvester will collect the completed ballot and return it for the voter. While the voter still has possession of his or her ballot, a ballot harvester will approach the individual (often with the aid of a voter list to know which voters received their ballots by mail) to offer the voter assistance in completing and/or returning the ballot. Once the voter’s ballot arrives, he or she has the opportunity to complete and return the ballot before the ballot return deadline. While it may seem like a kind gesture to assist voters in submitting their mail ballots, ballot harvesting can severely undermine the fairness and honesty of elections.īallot harvesting begins when a voter is given or requests to receive his or her ballot by mail. When electors vote by mail, they typically have a few options for returning their completed ballots: by mail, by dropping them off at a polling location, or by delivering them to a designated drop box.īallot harvesting, also known as ballot trafficking or third-party ballot collection, occurs when individuals take advantage of these options to “harvest” or collect voters’ completed ballots and return them on behalf of the voter.
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