Signature verification

Signature verification is a process for authenticating mail ballots. Many states require voters to sign the return envelope. Election workers or software compare the signature with the voter's registration record or other signatures on file, and accept or reject the ballot.

Standards differ: some states set detailed training requirements or allow computer matching, while others leave it to local officials. If a signature does not appear to match, many states require election officials to notify the voter and offer a chance to fix the problem, known as "curing," often by confirming identity before a deadline. Courts have sometimes ordered states to provide such notice because rejection without it raises due-process concerns.

Supporters say verification is a key safeguard that substitutes for the ID check at a polling place. Critics note that handwriting changes with age and illness, that it is subjective, that workers receive limited training and that rejection rates tend to be higher for younger and minority voters. Some argue for replacing it with identification numbers, or with stricter methods. It is a main element of absentee ballot and mail-in voting security and often becomes an issue in close counts and a recount.