# Absentee ballots and counting

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absentee-ballots-and-counting/41467>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 16, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absentee-ballots-and-counting/41467 "2000-11-16T16:02:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tourbot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@tourbot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tourbot)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absentee-ballots-and-counting/41467/1 "2000-11-16T16:02:47Z")

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It seems to me that absentee ballots are counted by hand. If that is the case, should all absentee ballots be thrown out because hand counting is inherently open to subjectivity and fraud? If not, then why should other legally cast ballots, which are unable to be counted by machine, not be allowed to be counted by hand?

It’s funny how when this first happened, many people were saying how this election proves that every vote counts. To me, it looks like there are some votes that won’t even be counted.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absentee-ballots-and-counting/41467/2 "2000-11-16T18:34:27Z")

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In California, absentee ballots are counted by machine. You get the same ballot as in person voters. It’s just that they have to be handled so the registrars can verify signatures and addresses.