Montgomery County Publishes Public Log Of Ballots With Deficiencies

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County ballots with errors or other deficiencies that prevent them from being counted will be included in an online log accessible by the public, a move officials hope will allow residents to "cure" their ballots.

The list — available online here — will include names, towns, birth years, and the errors that prevented the ballot in question from being counted. It includes 345 names already, as Wednesday.

It's an unprecedented step by one of the most populous counties in Pennsylvania. In what's expected to be a razor tight election, any small number of votes could sway the entire election.

“It’s unconscionable that ballots from qualified, registered voters get thrown out all—and worse, that some counties don’t even tell residents when their vote won’t be counted,” Montgomery County Commissioner and elections chief Neil K. Makhija said in a statement.

By making the ballots public, officials say that voters who see the list will be able to alert friends and neighbors about any issues.

Voters can file for a "cancel and replacement" by email, in person in Norristown, at one of the county's eight satellite offices, or in their mobile voter van.

The move comes just days after the Republican National Committee fully withdrew a lawsuit against the county, which had alleged the county had not properly tested its voting machines. The county said the allegations were baseless and an attempt to undermine the election.

Related: RNC Fully Withdraws Election Lawsuit Against Montgomery County

Republican Commissioner Tom DiBello said he stands behind the public list as well.

“As a County, our goal is to ensure that everyone that has the legal right to vote does vote, that we have secure and safe elections, and that we can stand behind these results,” DiBello said.

In the past, the county has provided the list of ballots with errors to political parties, who can then reach out to individual voters. This takes that a step further.

Common errors include "naked" ballots missing the secrecy envelope, a lack of signature, damage to the paper, the wrong date, and issues with voter registration status.

The "Cancel/Replace” form can be found online here.