2020 Election: signing your mail ballot return envelope

Mendocino County ballots for the Nov. 3 election will be mailed to every active registered voter on Monday, Oct. 5. In preparation of every registered voter receiving their ballot, we thought we would answer a couple questions we’ve had regarding signing your mail ballot return envelope.

According to Katrina Bartolomie, Assessor Clerk Recorder, Registrar of Voters, with each election we receive questions from our voters about their signatures. Two of the main questions we are asked are — does the voter have to sign their mail ballot return envelope exactly as they are registered; and what do they do if their signature has changed?

If you think your signature has changed a lot, you should reregister. We take into consider

ation that our signatures change as we age, but the style normally is very similar. We look at the signature style, we do not require your ballot envelope be signed exactly as the signature we have on file, nor does your signature have to be exactly as you are registered.

For example — if you’re registered as “Katherine Elizabeth Simpson,” what would your legal signature be — how do your normally sign your name? There are several ways you could sign your ballot envelope — you could sign your full name or you could sign Katherine E. Simpson; Kathy Simpson; K.E. Simpson; K. Simpson; as long as your signature style is the same, we will accept the signed ballot envelope.

If you now have a squiggly signature, we suggest you sign your squiggly signature you now sign every day, and right above or below that signature, sign your name as it appears on your mail label. It’s extremely hard to check a signature that we can’t make out when the signature we have in our database for you is a neat, spelled out, legible signature. By signing both ways it helps us decipher the signature on your ballot envelope.

Another way, is look at your driver’s license signature — does your normal signature look like the signature on your driver’s license? If you’ve registered online or through DMV, you most likely had to attach the signature on file with DMV to your registration form.

We check every signature on every mail in ballot envelope. If there is a problem we will make every attempt possible to contact you to cure your signature.

Please call or email the Elections Office if you have any questions. Our number is (707) 234- 6819; or email us at mcvotes@mendocinocounty.org.