Sep 29, 2024 7:20 AM – 815 words
By DEEPA BHARATH Associated Press
Ballot gathering or ballot collecting is a practice in where a voter completes an absentee ballot, places it in a sealed, signed envelope and entrusts it to another person who then drops it off at a mail center or a designated ballot drop-off location. This practice is also sometimes known as “ballot harvesting,” but experts say that is a loaded term and prefer “ballot gathering” or “ballot collecting” instead.
Is ballot gathering legal?
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, ballot gathering is legal in some form in 35 states where a person other than the voter is allowed to return a completed ballot on the voter’s behalf. However, the laws relating to ballot gathering vary significantly from state to state. Most states that allow ballot gathering place limits who can do that to individuals such as a family member, household member or caregiver…