Botched Ballots to Be Resent to Over 100,00 Brooklyn Voters

By on October 1, 2020 1:20 am in 11201, Coronavirus, Election 20, Government, Politics

If you received your absentee ballot and it’s got the wrong name on the return envelope, raise your hand. Both Gothamist and The New York Times reported a “printing error” as the cause of the literal mix-ups. As many as 100,000 absentee ballots were sent with return envelopes mismatched to the intended voter.

The vendor responsible, Phoenix Graphics, has agreed to pay the cost of reprinting and resending corrected ballots to all those affected. This informative article from The City provides more background on the vendor and its relationship with the Board of Elections.

So, what should you do?

  • Do NOT return your incorrect ballot.
  • You can still vote by mail. Your ballot should be re-sent automatically. But, you may request a new one online at nycabsentee.com, by calling 1-866-VOTE-NYC, or emailing a pdf of a required form to Apply4Absentee@boe.nyc. The deadline to request a new ballot is October 27th. You may still vote in-person even if you have requested a mail-in ballot. NOTE: Do not be alarmed if your ballot reads Military Absentee ballot. It is valid.
  • Vote early! Early voting begins on October 24th and runs through November 1st, hours vary by day.  Check HERE to find your early polling site. NOTE: It may differ from your usual location.
  • Vote on November 3rd: Find your election day polling location HERE.

DO NOT return envelopes to their rightful owners. If that person uses it to vote, the bar code next to the name on the return envelope may not match the signature, which would render their vote ineligible. Instead, throw it away. The rightful owner will receive a new ballot in the mail.

Happy voting, everyone!

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  • Pierrepont

    Returning envelopes to their rightful owners will not work! The barcodes won’t match and ballot will not be counted. Get a new correct ballot!

  • http://www.yotamzohar.com StudioBrooklyn

    There’s a legitimate fear that because of errors like these, mail-in ballots will be delegitimized by Big Boy and his supporters, and rolled into an inevitable coup attempt. I’m hearing that if you feel comfortable doing so and are able to do so safely, you should try to vote in person.

  • Mary Kim

    I would add that if you feel you can safely vote in person, know what’s on the ballot before you go. That way, you’ll spend less time once inside. In our district, there are also a House race, a State Senate race, a State Assembly race, and a judicial race. Check whosontheballot.org to see… who’s on the ballot.

  • gfl

    There’s nothing wrong with the RETURN envelopes. The problem is with the BALLOT envelopes.

  • NeighboorHood

    SongBirdNYC and BHB please update this post!! People should NOT “reunite envelopes with their rightfulowners”! The bar code next to the name on the return /signature envelope may not match, rensering their votes invalid without them knowing!!

  • NeighboorHood

    THROW THE ENTIRE PACKET AWAY when you get the new one. That’s what the BOE advises and that’s why they are having the vendor send entire new packets. Why take chances?

  • NeighboorHood

    As to a vendor “error”…what are the chances a firm that boasts 40yrs of experience and 2 ballot patents, supplying 70% of counties in NYS at one point or another, makes an “error” in just one predominantly Democratic voting region? Oh and the family owned business is Republican so there’s that. What no officials have asked/answered is how many other counties are they supplying ballots for and who’s checkin’ their work this time? https://www.thecity.nyc/2020/9/29/21494655/wrong-absentee-ballot-brooklyn-no-bid-contract-election

  • MaggieO

    Please update the original post to reflect that while “reuniting” ballots with the correct owners seemed like a good idea at the time this is NOT the correct action and will only cause further confusion!

  • gfl

    Huh? I went to the BOE, got correct ballot material, filled out and turned in. Simple. Done! WHY ALL CAPS WHEN i KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND HOW TO CORRECT?

  • NeighboorHood

    And you expect 100,000 plus people to physically go (in a pandemic no less) “to the BOE, got correct ballot material, filled out and turned in. Simple. Done!”? In talking to people about this I’ve seen confusion about what the 2 envelopes are called (even from officials). If they don’t go to the BOE in person why tell them to keep and use part of a set of voting materials when they will receive an entire new/correct set to use? I’m sorry if my tone was TOO LOUD! I didn’t mean to STARTLE YOU! But I’d hate for your needless haphazard “advice” (you left out the part about going to the BOE in person for a new ballot envelope in your initial post btw) to COST SOMEONE THEIR VOTE! XO

  • Jorale-man

    I wonder what percentage of 11201 got the botched ballots? I know I did and it seems other regulars here obviously did too. Really hope this is corrected pronto – we’re putting our faith in the system that they’ll get new ones out to us.

  • gfl

    Please re-read my posts. I gave NO advice. I simply corrected incorrect information and stated what I did to correct for me.

  • MaggieO

    Mine was correct. Hard to know the actual percentage since you’re mostly likely to hear from the folks who got wrong ones.

  • Jorale-man

    Ah, good to know. We shall see…