Skip to content
Help support CapRadio’s local public service mission 
and enrich the lives in your community.
Support local nonprofit public media.
Donate Now

View thank you gift options

CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • State Government
  •  

Young California Voters Had Mail-In Ballots Rejected At Three Times Overall Rate, Study Shows

  •  Chris Nichols 
Friday, September 18, 2020 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Vote-by-mail ballots wait to be opened at the county registrar's office March 3, 2020.

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Every election, tens of thousands of California voters have their vote-by-mail ballots rejected, typically because they don’t arrive on time or lack a signature.

But in at least three California counties — Sacramento, Santa Clara and San Mateo — young voters had their vote-by-mail ballots disqualified at three times the overall rate, a new study shows. 

The study, Improving California’s Vote-by-Mail Process by Reducing Ballot Rejection: A Three-County Study, was conducted by the California Voter Foundation, which advocates for improving the election process.

In Sacramento County, 2.3% of voters ages 18 to 24 had their vote-by-mail ballots rejected, compared to an overall county rejection rate of 0.8%, the report found. In San Mateo County, 3.5% of young voters had their ballots disqualified compared to the overall rejection rate of 1%. And in Santa Clara County, 2.5% had their ballots rejected compared to an overall 0.7% rejection rate. 

Kim Alexander, president of CVF, said several factors work against younger voters when they cast vote-by-mail ballots.

“They’re new to voting. They’re less familiar with using the post office. And they are not used to using a signature to sign checks or to do other secure transactions,” Alexander said. “We need to do extra outreach to young people and make sure they get it right when they vote-by-mail.”

The study says the most common reasons mail-in ballots get rejected for all voters include: returning them too late, forgetting to sign the ballot envelope and signatures that don’t match the one on file.

On average over the past decade, 1.7% of California ballots cast as vote-by-mail ballots have been rejected, a figure that’s held steady in recent elections but is down from a decade ago.

“That may not sound like a lot,” Alexander said of the 1.7%. “But in a state where we have 21 million registered voters, it does add up to tens of thousands of ballots that are not getting counted every election.”

She added that with more Californians choosing to vote-by-mail — a record 72% of ballots cast in the March primary were by mail — and with the electorate getting younger, the overall number of vote-by-mail ballots getting rejected is on the rise.

During the March primary, 27,525 mail-in ballots either didn’t have a signature, or the signature didn’t match the one on record for the voter, the Associated Press reported this summer. Altogether, more than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by election officials, the vast majority because they missed the deadline for the ballot to arrive.

The total number of rejected ballots represents about 1.5% of the nearly 7 million mail-in ballots returned, AP reported.

Starting in early October, mail-in ballots will be sent to all active, registered voters in California under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Counties must send them out by Oct. 5, though election officials are advising voters that it may take several days before they arrive.

During the general election in California, election officials must accept mail-in ballots that arrive up to 17 days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked by Nov. 3.

Alexander offered this advice to make sure your ballot gets counted: 

“No. 1, don’t wait until the last minute,” she said. “You don’t have to vote weeks before the election. But get your ballot in early. If you want to mail it in, try to mail it in a week before the election. No. 2, don’t forget to sign the envelope. That’s another top reason why ballots get rejected.”

Alexander offered one more tip: If voters wait to mail their ballot on Election Day, they should make sure to check the pickup time listed on the U.S. Postal Service mailbox. If the mail is picked up before a ballot is dropped off, the ballot won’t be postmarked on Nov. 3, meaning it won’t be counted.

The study was conducted in collaboration with Mindy Romero, founder and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    More about Election 2020

  • Election 2020: Latest Results And Updates

    See all of CapRadio's coverage of the 2020 Election, including our guide to voting, explainers for all 12 statewide ballot measures and fact-checks on election misinformation.

    Related Stories

  • AP Photo / Evan Vucci

    Trump Draws False Contrast Between Absentee, Mail-In Voting, Election Experts Say

    Thursday, July 30, 2020
    The verification and security processes are the same for absentee and mail-in voting. In many states the term ‘absentee voting’ has been phased out because there’s no difference between it and mail-in voting.
  • Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

    How Early Should You Send In Your Mail-in Ballot To Make Sure It Gets Counted? The Answer Varies By State.

    Tuesday, July 28, 2020
    Several widely-shared social media posts claim that Election Day is really Oct. 20, and not Nov. 3, for people who want to vote-by-mail. We found that's not the case in some states.
  • Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

    Answering Questions About Vote-By-Mail In California Amid COVID-19, Attacks By Trump

    Tuesday, June 2, 2020
    Experts say vote-by-mail doesn’t lead to widespread fraud or favor Democrats, contrary to President Donald Trump’s claims. In California, the practice includes safeguards such as signature matching.
  • Evan Vucci / AP Photo

    No, California Gov. Gavin Newsom Is Not Sending Mail-In Ballots “To Anyone In The State,” As Trump Falsely Claimed

    Tuesday, May 26, 2020
    In early May, Newsom ordered all counties to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters in California ahead of the November election amid safety concerns over COVID-19. GOP groups have challenged the plan.

 Election 2020

Chris Nichols

Homelessness and Housing Affordability reporter

Chris covers homelessness and housing affordability across the Sacramento region with a focus on the local and statewide policies that shape these topics.  Read Full Bio 

 @christhejourno Email Chris Nichols

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More State Government Stories

AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Gavin Newsom moves to ‘transform’ San Quentin as California prison population shrinks

March 17, 2023

Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP Photo

Court ruling opens door to gig driver unionization bill, union says

March 20, 2023

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Wildfire victims left ‘in the dark’ after U.S. Forest Service briefs Congress about the Caldor Fire

March 20, 2023

Most Viewed

Sacramento guaranteed income program opens applications for second round of participants

California could be the first state in the country to ban some much debated food additives

Wildfire victims left ‘in the dark’ after U.S. Forest Service briefs Congress about the Caldor Fire

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

Rain, snow and wind are returning to Northern California. In Sacramento, impacts expected to be milder than recent storms

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Sacramento guaranteed income program opens applications for second round of participants

California could be the first state in the country to ban some much debated food additives

Wildfire victims left ‘in the dark’ after U.S. Forest Service briefs Congress about the Caldor Fire

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

Rain, snow and wind are returning to Northern California. In Sacramento, impacts expected to be milder than recent storms

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.