Voter signature on nearly 7% of mail-in ballots referred

Recent changes to election laws governing verification of voter signatures on mail-in ballots are a factor in why the St Johns County Supervisor of Elections office has so far rejected 6.9% of those ballots as of Thursday morning.  Historic City News has learned that signature rejections locally are much higher than the statewide average of 6.3%.

Supervisor Vicky Oakes objects to any suggestion that those ballots have been “rejected,” because her office is in the process of contacting the voters involved.  Supervisors are required to reach out to voters whose signatures have been questioned and ask them to present the required identification.  They must sign a “signature cure affidavit” before their ballot can be counted.  In the August 20th Primary Election, that means that questioned signatures must be cured no later than 5:00 pm Thursday, two days after Election Day.

“We used to err on the side of the voter, but with the scrutiny that we are under now, those days are over.  We can no longer do that.” Oakes told Historic City News local reporters on Friday.  “They’re not rejected, they’re referred.  We want our voters to update their signatures and have current signatures on file so this doesn’t happen again in the November General Election.”

Oakes, a Republican, joined the St Johns County Elections Office in 1988 as Assistant Supervisor of Elections under Penny Halyburton. Then, in 2011, she was appointed supervisor by then-Governor Rick Scott.  She won election for the first time in 2012.  Oakes was reelected in 2016 and 2020.  She has already won re-election this year because no opponent challenged her.

In the 2023 session, lawmakers passed SB 750, which requires the Florida Secretary of State to provide mandatory formal signature matching training to Supervisors of Elections, county canvassing board members, and anyone whose duties require verifying signatures.  If the local Supervisor is perceived as doing something wrong, there is increased pressure from the public as well as a looming threat from the Office of Election Crimes and Security, that could investigate them.

“My take on that law and the direction to my staff is this.  If a signature does not match and is questionable, that voter gets a referral,” Oakes said.  “This gives them the opportunity to cure their vote-by-mail-ballot by providing an affidavit and required identification.  That cure affidavit allows them to update their signature with our office.”

Oakes said that her office had “a number of signatures challenged by the parties and candidates” in the 2022 election cycle. This year, she says, none of those signatures were challenged in advance.