Update – Wed. Sep. 25, 2:39pm:
So it turns out that each state has its own election rules, and there are several places that you cannot do what is suggested in the video below and the post. I encourage everyone to find out BEFORE the election what you should do if you find out someone has stolen your identity. Also, if you’ve had family members move out of state, pass on, or change voter status, make sure your local pollsters know that. It behooves us to ensure this stuff before each election, so that only the people who should vote, do vote.
I also urge people who live in states that only allow mail-in ballots to change that. There should always be the ability for a citizen of the United States of America to step into a polling station and cast their ballot in person. Always.
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Original post, unedited:
I’ve never had it happen to me, but I know a couple of people local to me were told at their polling place that they had already voted. This is, essentially, a form of identity theft. There are things you can do. What you should absolutely NOT do is harass the volunteers at the voting station. It’s not their fault and they are just following their rules. I was trolling on TikTok while I’ve been sick, and ran into this video, which I suggest you watch. The sound can be funky on it, not sure why. Works on my phone but not my computer.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFjSh3rx/
There’s a lot of other stuff on the video, such as advice on checking to make sure dead relatives aren’t on the rolls, and making sure that someone who’s changed their name (due to marriage or whatever) doesn’t have someone steal their pre-change identity.
So apparently there are people out there, professional looking people, telling the populace to fill in their voting oval, and then to draw a line to their candidate. Please know, that will INVALIDATE your vote. Do not do that! Just fill in your oval.
If you make a mistake, do not scribble on it. Go request another ballot. Yes, it’s a hassle. No, it’s not stupid. Yes, it’s worth it.
If someone makes any kind of mark on your ballot, request another one. You do not take a ballot that has been marked on by another person, because it can invalidate your ballot.
For those who don’t do TikTok, here’s the step by step written explanations on what to do. Please note, I am not a lawyer, and I literally got this off TikTok. It “passes the sniff test,” as Chris often says.
- Request your mail-in ballot. When it arrives, DO NOT OPEN IT. Keep it sealed. Keep all versions of it, so if you get more than one, keep them all, and do not open them.
- On election day, go into your polling place. If they say you’ve already voted, don’t complain. It’s not the fault of the volunteer(s). Do NOT say fraud.
- Ask the worker, “Can you repeat that to me?” They will say again that you’ve already voted. They will offer you a provisional ballot.
- Ask for the supervisor for one more check. Ask them to double check, and insist very politely that you did not vote yet, and ask them to make certain. The supervisor’s going to say the same thing. As the video says, they’re only as good as the data they have.
- Take the provisional ballot and step aside.
- Call your sheriff’s department. Depending on the polling place, this may mean you have to step outside, which may mean you want to ask people to video you (this is from me, not the video), so you have proof of everything you’ve done. Generally, you should be allowed to make a call from a quiet spot out of the way.
- DO NOT CALL THE POLICE. You want to call the Sheriff, and you want to do so on a non-emergency line. Don’t call 911, this is not an emergency.
- They’ll ask you if it’s an emergency; say no. Say, “I need to report identity theft, but it’s unique. I’m standing here in a retail space. I watched it happen, and I’m still here. I need to have a deputy show up.” Do NOT say you’re at a polling place; you must say you are at a “retail location” or “retail space.” Don’t talk about ballots or voting.
- They will send a deputy. Tell the deputy exactly what’s happened. You may need to hand your provisional ballot to the pollsters, which is fine, let them know you’ll be right back. The deputy will listen to you, then will go talk to the pollsters and get the same story.
- Once the volunteers have told their side of the story, and NO EARLIER, pull out your mail-in ballot. Say, “This is my mail-in ballot. You can see it’s not open. I have not voted my mail-in ballot. Someone has stolen my identity. This will get a report on the books, right there and then. That report is outside the control of the pollsters.
- DO NOT SURRENDER THAT BALLOT. It is your property, and you’re not required to do so. If someone tries to take it away, say, “This is my evidence; I’m keeping it. Please file the report.”
- You have now empowered a sheriff to investigate. The sheriff has the power to seize a ballot box, apparently. This begins an investigation that is independent, and that can’t easily be shut down by either Left or Right.
I won’t say I don’t care who you vote for. I do care. But I care more that everyone who has the right to vote, goes out and votes. So please, go vote.
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