Pennsylvania's varied 'curing' policies affect voters' chances of getting their ballot counted
Counties that allow mail voters to fix errors that could otherwise get their ballots disqualified rejected fewer ballots during the 2024 general election, a Votebeat and Spotlight PA analysis has found.
Overall, just 0.57% of mail ballots statewide were rejected due to voter errors, such as an improper date, a missing signature on the return envelope, or failure to use the ballot secrecy envelope. That’s less than half the rejection rates of 1.22% in the primary election and 1.31% in the 2022 general election.
However, according to the analysis, the rate was even lower in counties that allow voters to fix, or “cure,” their mail ballots — just 0.49% in those counties were rejected for technical deficiencies on average, compared with 0.59% in counties where curing isn’t allowed. The numbers mean 17% fewer voters had their ballots rejected in the curing counties.
That difference highlights the disparity in the rules Pennsylvania voters face based on where they live, said Jeff Greenburg, a senior adviser on election administration for the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Committee of Seventy. He considers inconsistency the state’s prime election administration problem.
https://www.votebeat.org/pennsylvania/2025/02/04/curing-policies-lower-mail-ballot-rejection-rate/