early voters, what if...

[javasaurus]

If someone votes early (or absentee), and then dies before election day, should their vote be counted?

Comments

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

should it be counted philosophically or legally?

legally, yes, it is counted. AFAIK, Obama's grandmother filed an absentee before she died and it was counted (well, to the extent that Hawaii needed to count them - with such a large margin, they might not have bothered to count the absentees).

[dacuteturtle.livejournal.com]

If the law says you can vote, and you vote, then you voted.

If you want to start confirming whether voters are living or dead AFTER they voted with their secret ballot, but before you count the vote, you are suggesting one big FUBAR system.

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

That's a good point.

[petricat666.livejournal.com]

according to the Pew Center of the States six states allow a cast absentee ballot that the person then subsequently dies to be counted - Ohio, California, West Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and FLorida. In other states it depends on how vigilant the Secretary of State is about scanning obituaries and then matching them to people who have requested an absentee ballot. When it comes to early voting those votes are tabulated on the spot and cannot be traced to the original voter.

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info!

Slate article on this very issue.