Dec 1, 2015 2 min read

I received word last month from the Washington County Board of Elections that the provisional vote I cast in the recent election would not count. As a voter who treasures her right to vote, and who has voted in almost every general election since I was eligible to vote, I am disappointed and angry. How could this occur?

I went to my polling place and made my selections. I noticed when viewing my summary that one of the offices for which I had cast a vote was showing I had not cast a vote. The poll workers at my precinct could not explain the anomaly, nor could the person they were instructed to contact with problems.

When I indicated I was unwilling to cast my ballot until I was certain all my votes were correct, the workers suggested I cast a provisional ballot instead. I followed all instructions given to me in completing this provisional ballot, with the poll worker at my side. I was asked to sign and initial a form, and the worker put my ballot in an envelope. The worker indicated it would also be placed in a security envelope. I was assured my vote would count.

I contacted the Board of Elections by phone that evening, and described the events that led me to cast a provisional ballot. The explanation I received concerning the summary feature of the voting machine was satisfactory. If the poll workers or their contact could have explained it, I would have happily cast my ballot electronically. I was assured again that my vote would count.

That provisional ballot? It didn’t count because the instructions I was given for completing it were not complete, correct or accurate. I was told the ballot would be placed in a security envelope; it was not. The ballot was thrown out in part because of the lack of a security envelope. To have my vote not count through no fault of my own is devastating and disheartening.

I hope to never again encounter a problem that results in my having to cast a provisional ballot. The system does not work.

Mary Ellen West

Washington