Fairfax County Republican leaders are raising concerns about ballot privacy after discovering a hole punched in absentee ballots could reveal a voter’s decision.
The concern was first flagged by a voter in a social media media post. If a Fairfax County absentee ballot is inserted in its return envelope a certain way, a bubble can be seen through a hole punch.
If someone knows the order in which nominees are listed on the ballot and where the bubble is marked, they could know it’s for Republican Attorney General candidate Jason Miyares.
Fairfax County’s GOP chair Katie Gorka wrote to election officials about her concern about privacy. Gorka worries that postal workers in particular could see votes.
“The privacy of the ballot is sacrosanct & its a problem here. You don’t have privacy with this ballot,” Gorka said.
Fairfax County election tips are now giving tips on their website about how to properly secure the ballot.
“Simply refold that ballot the exact same way it came to you,” Sean Stewart of the Fairfax County Elections Office said.
Stewart says once voters open the envelope, line up the ballot with the privacy flap, insert the ballot with the Commonwealth of Virginia header at the top with the ballot facing you and insert the ballot straight down into the envelope.
What might confuse voters is the Virginia header at the top. Fairfax County redesigned its absentee ballots in 2021. The office got rid of the double envelope to save money and to stop wasting paper. The hole punch, better known as a tactile indicator, is one of the three methods required by law.
Gorka says she wants to see the double envelope return.
“Those ballots I think are deserving of protection,” Gorka said. “They are using huge amount of paper for all kinds of other issues. This one is important. This protects the privacy of the ballots.”
When News4 spoke to voters on Tuesday dropping off their absentee ballots, no one had a vote bubble peeking through the hole punch.
“I don’t have any worries that my ballot’s secure,” Billy Birdseye, a voter, said. “I don’t have any worries that my wife’s ballot is secure.”
Election officials emphasize that if voters use the ballot drop boxes, no one but the voter and election workers will see what their vote.
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