Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Is there evidence that mail-in ballots from minority voters are less likely to be counted?
Thursday, June 25, 2020
By William Boger
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YES
Studies of elections in two states indicate some disparities for both minority voters as well as some other groups.
A study of Florida's 2016 election found that ballots mailed by members of racial minorities were 2 1/2 times more likely to be rejected than those cast by whites. Voters under 30 mailed in 9.2% of all absentee ballots but accounted for 30.8% of rejections.
Rejection rates across Florida's 67 counties were inconsistent, suggesting a disorganized approach to ballot counts.
Similarly, in Georgia's 2018 midterms, minority, young, female and recently-registered voters were all more likely to have their ballots rejected.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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