Facts First: This is at best misleading. In “most” states, after your ballot is broadcast, you will not be able to change your vote, either in the mail or in person.
In response to the president’s tweet, CNN reached out to a total of 50 states about their policies on changing one’s vote. All but five responded. Of those who did, all but six told CNN that they would not allow voters to change their votes. The other six – Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York and Wisconsin – provided information about the processes they had or about the provisions of state law that would allow anyone to change their vote.
Voters may request another ballot in absentia or vote in person. In theory, someone could vote for a candidate on an absentee ballot, change his mind, and then register their vote for another candidate. Rosenberg, however, insisted that their vote would not be technically altered because the initial choice was never registered or counted.
Many states have policies for people who have received and filled out an absentee ballot, but have not yet dropped it or put it in the mail and now want to change their vote. As such, some states allow voters to request a replacement ballot or instead vote in person and cancel the “absent” or early absent ballot.
Others like Texas want voters to bring their spoiled ballot to the polling station and hand it over. For example, in New Mexico, voters requesting an absentee ballot must sign an affidavit stating that they do not intend to submit it in person to vote.
While this may technically allow someone to change what they fill out in the opening ballot, it’s not like changing your vote.
“It’s very difficult to change your vote in Hopper,” Wendy Underhill, director of elections & redistricting for the National Conference of State Legislatures, told CNN’s Kelly Mena. “The decisive thing is that if your first ballot is received and counted and not, you may have the opportunity to go inside and say, ‘I want to do it differently.’
However, some states clearly support the voter’s ability to change their vote. Details are here:
Michigan
Voters must request a new mail-in ballot before 5pm on Friday before the election or before 4pm on Monday before the election.
Minnesota
Wisconsin
After the opening ballot is spoiled, voters can vote in person or request another ballot that is not present. If the second or third ballot does not arrive at the clerk’s office by election day, it will not be counted.
New York
In New York, it depends on the method used to vote. Those requesting and casting an absentee ballot may request another or vote in person. However, if you vote in person first, that vote will not be changed.
New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, time is of the essence. Anyone can change the vote by voting in person before the absent ballot is processed because they are processed later on election day. The state deadline to receive absent ballots is 5pm on election day.
Delaware
In Delaware, if a voter wants to change the ballot after their absentee or by ballot by mail ballot, they should contact their county election office. The county election office notifies the voter whether the ballot has already been processed or prepared for scanning and table. If not, the voter may request to change their vote.
CNN’s Hyun “Alyssa” Choi, Kelly Mena, Ellie Kaufman, Annie Grayer, Sarah Jorgensen, Taylor Romine, Carolyn Kenny, Ashley Killow, Stephanie Becker, Aaron Cooper, Jason Morris, Leslie Perot, Pamela Kirkland and others.
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