Understanding Ballot Signatures

Why do I have to sign the envelope?

Signing your ballot envelope confirms two things:
1.   You are the voter for whom the ballot was issued.
2.   You are affirming the oath, which states that you are: a US citizen; 18 years of age or older, or 17 years old at the primary and will turn 18 by the date of November General Election; not currently serving sentence of total confinement for a felony conviction; not disqualified from voting by a court order; and you understand that there are fines and penalties for breaking this oath.

What is the barcode on my ballot envelope for?

The barcode on the envelope is scanned into the election system and brings the voter’s signature of record to our screen so it can be compared to the signature on the envelope. All ballots go through the signature verification process while still sealed.

Do you check every signature?

Yes. Every ballot received has the signature checked to make sure that the voter who was issued the ballot is the person who signed it.

I have Power of Attorney for someone. Can I sign their ballot for them?

No. Power of Attorney is never valid for voting purposes.

Where does the signature in my record come from?

The majority of voter registrations and updates in Washington come from the Dept. of Licensing. Those voters’ records will have the same signature on file as the one on your license/ID card. If you registered using a paper registration form, the scanned signature from the form is the one in your record.

What is the signature checking process?

As ballots are received in the counting center, each ballot is scanned into the election system.

First, ballots are checked to see if the voter has already returned a ballot for the election. If not, the ballot moves forward for signature verification. If the voter has already returned a ballot for the election, the “duplicate” ballot is sent for further investigation.

Next, each ballot has the signature on the ballot envelope compared to the signature in the voter’s registration record.

Every election worker who performs signature verification has been through training by the Washington State Patrol on the verification process.

If the signature is a match, the voter is given credit for voting and the ballot moves forward for counting.

If the ballot does not have a signature, the ballot is labeled as unsigned and removed from the tray for further review. It will show as rejected until cured.

If the signature on the ballot does not appear to match the signature in the voter’s record, the ballot is labeled as a mismatch and is removed from the tray for further review. It will show as rejected until cured.

An additional review is made of all the unsigned and mismatched signature ballots. If the ballots are verified as unsigned or having a mismatched signature, the voters are contacted. If the additional review does not agree with the initial review, the ballots are corrected in the system and the ballots move forward for counting.

How is the voter contacted?

First, the voter is contacted by sending a letter to the address in the voter’s registration record. The letter explains the issue with their signature and gives them a form to sign to cure the issue.

In addition to the letter, if the voter has provided a phone number or email, Elections staff will also use this to contact them.

Someone came to my house with a form to correct my signature.  Do they work for the Auditor's Office?

No.  The Auditor's Office will never come to your house to bring you a signature form and will never ask you how you voted.  By State law, campaigns and political parties can get a copy of the voter list, that shows which voters have challenged signatures.  They may recruit volunteers to reach out to those voters to get their signatures cured so their votes can be counted.  Such groups operate entirely outside of the Auditor's scope of authority.

What if my signature on my ballot isn’t exactly like the one on file?

Signatures can be affected by many things: the passing of time, the angle at which the ballot was signed, whether or not the signer was in a hurry when they signed it, medical conditions, etc.

Signature checkers look for various key details in determining if a signature is a match, including unique characteristics, pen stroke and overall style of writing.

What if I do or don’t use my middle name?

Your name is yours to sign as you wish. The use or non-use of middle names, initials, etc. does not impact the overall signature comparison. If the handwriting on the ballot is a match to the style of the writing in the voter’s record, the ballot is fine.

Can I cure my ballot if my signature is missing or doesn’t match?

Yes. The letter you receive will have a form on the back side that can be used. Forms are also available online at www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voters/forms-voters

The cure form must be received in our office by the close of business (4:30 p.m.) the day before the election certifies. Once the form is received, your ballot can be cured and counted.

How can I update my signature?

If you register to vote at the DOL, your signature will be forwarded and updated.

Each time you send a voter registration form to our office, the signature on the form is scanned as your updated signature.

When you sign a Signature Update Form, the signature on the form is scanned as your updated signature.

You can update your signature in person in our office.

What if I didn’t receive a letter?

If you didn’t receive a letter, and your address information is current, it usually means that there was no issue with your ballot.

How can I check on my ballot and registration status?

Why is my signature important?  (pdf)

Why is my signature important? (Spanish) (pdf)