Under the Litigation Settlement, the following language added to the pressures and complexity of processing defective absentee ballots, making it less likely that they would be identified or, if identified, processed for rejection:
County registrars and absentee ballot clerks are required, upon receipt of each mail-in absentee ballot, to compare the signature or make of the elector on the mail-in absentee ballot envelope with the signatures or marks in eNet and on the application for the mail in absentee ballot. If the signature does not appear to be valid, registrars and clerks are required to follow the procedure set forth in O.C.G.A. § 21- 2-386(a)(l )(C). When reviewing an elector’s signature on the mail-in absentee ballot envelope, the registrar or clerk must compare the signature on the mail-in absentee ballot envelope to each signature contained in such elector’s voter registration record in eNet and the elector’s signature on the application for the mail-in absentee ballot.
If the registrar or absentee ballot clerk determines that the voter’s signature on the mail-in absentee ballot envelope does not match any of the voter’s signatures on file in eNet or on the absentee ballot application, the registrar or absentee ballot clerk must seek review from two other registrars, deputy registrars, or absentee ballot clerks. A mail-in absentee ballot shall not be rejectedunlessamajorityoftheregistrars,deputy registrars,or absentee ballot clerks reviewing the signature agree that the signature does not match any of the voter’s signatures on file in eNet or on the absentee ballotapplication.
If a determination is made that the elector’s signature on the mail-in absentee ballot envelope does not match and of the voter’s signatures on file in eNet or on the absentee ballot application, the registrar or absentee ballot clerk shall write the names of the three elections officials who conducted the signature review across the face of the absentee ballot envelope, which shall be in addition to writing “Rejected” and the reason for the rejection as required under 0.C.G.A. § 21-2-386(a)(l )(C ).
Imagine trying to do this process with millions of votes. What ended up happening is most just went through and our rejection rate went to from 5-6% normally to .3%
Your post refers to the process of verifying absentee ballots. My post refers to the process of verifying the eligibility to vote in-person. Each in-person voter is subject to a signature match between the form filled out at the poll and the signature on the photo ID, except for first-time voters (for some odd reason).