John Locher / AP
Election workers process mail-in ballots during a nearly all-mail primary election Tuesday, June 9, 2020, in Las Vegas.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 | 2 a.m.
So your mail ballot for the general election has arrived at the Clark County Election Department, either via mail or a drop-off point.
What’s the rest of the journey look like?
It’s a multistep, technical process, a mix of automation and human eyes that elections staff started on Tuesday when the 15-day window leading to Election Day opened for ballot counting.
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The Trump campaign and Nevada Republicans have unsuccessfully challenged the process, including Friday when they asked a state judge to stop the count of Las Vegas-area mail-in ballots because “meaningful observation” of signature-checking is impossible in the Democratic-leaning Clark County.
Former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt told the Associated Press that it appeared that not enough ballots were being rejected. He cited state election data showing that more than 98% of mailed ballots received in Clark County had been accepted as valid.
“It’s hard to believe there’s only a 1% rejection rate,” Laxalt told the Associated Press. “Once a signature is verified, no campaign has the ability to challenge that vote.”
Despite the constant claims of election fraud and lawsuits by Republicans, which started this summer when the Nevada Legislature expanded the election to include mail ballots because of the pandemic, the claims have gone unfounded.
Here’s a look at Clark County’s bipartisan process to counting the ballots:
Sort and verify
Clark County uses the Agilis ballot sorting system to sort ballots precisely down to the precinct level, verify signatures and even check envelope weight — is the envelope empty? Overstuffed?
The complex Agilis machines can read the multiple codes pre-printed on the back of the envelope near the voter’s name and address.
Cure
If the machine can’t verify or spot a signature, or finds the envelope has been damaged, it flags it for manual human review. Because the ballot is still inside its envelope, elections department staff can contact the voter to check, sign or vote a fresh ballot.
Open
Ballots are taken to a bipartisan mail ballot counting board for removal from the envelope. The secrecy sleeve is discarded. The ballot is now separated from its envelope with all identifying information and has become anonymous.
Scan
Ballots are run through digital scanners. If there are no stray marks and bubbles are filled in fully and neatly, the selections are recorded into the election management system; the first results will be reported on election night.
Adjudication
Say a ballot has been corrected — a voter initially filled in a bubble for Candidate A, but crossed out Candidate A’s name and refilled the bubble for Candidate B, as directed on the ballot’s instructions. Or there are other errant marks on the ballot, like check marks instead of filled-in bubbles. The scanner will reject the ballot and a two-person adjudication team will inspect the ballot to determine voter intent. These adjudicators must not be from the same political party.
Duplication
If a ballot arrives torn, soiled or folded oddly, or is an overseas or military ballot returned via email, it cannot be read by the scanner. In that case, a similar bipartisan board will copy the selections onto a fresh ballot on the specialized paper.
Report results
The first announcement is made on election night, when results from mail ballots received before Nov. 2 and in-person voting results are first released. Mail ballots must be postmarked on Nov. 3 or earlier. Ballots returned at a drop-off location must be deposited by 7 p.m, Nov. 3.
Storage
Per federal and state law, ballots are saved for 22 months in the event of challenges.
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Want to know the status of your ballot? Check it here
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
