Story perspectives

Early voting starts as officials debunk ballot-void claim

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 3:16 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Jamie Shew Mailed Ballots

Early voting begins for the November 3, 2026 elections in Iowa, Kansas and North Carolina.
Polk County, Iowa mailed 21,000 absentee ballots Wednesday.
Douglas County clerk Jamie Shew mailed 8,562 ballots Wednesday.
Shew urged voters to use secure drop boxes.
Douglas County voters must request absentee ballots by Oct. 27 and postmark them by Nov. 3.

Summary

Tre Hargett Debunks Myth

Tennessee Secretary Tre Hargett debunked a viral claim that poll-worker markings void ballots.
The false post warned that letter, checkmark, star, R or D on a ballot leads to disqualification.
Hargett said the claim is incorrect and ballots remain valid despite notations.
The ACLU of Tennessee allows voters to request up to three replacement ballots if they object to markings.

History

Historical Context

After the 2000 election controversy, President George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act on Oct 29 2002, mandating state upgrades of voting equipment, centralized voter rolls, and establishing the Election Assistance Commission. Congress allocated $380 million for absentee-ballot upgrades, which Iowa, Kansas and North Carolina used to modernize mailing infrastructure. Tennessee Secretary Tre Hargett and ACLU of Tennessee invoke HAVA to reject claims markings invalidate absentee votes.

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Jamie Shew Mailed Ballots

Early voting begins for the November 3, 2026 elections in Iowa, Kansas and North Carolina.
Polk County, Iowa mailed 21,000 absentee ballots Wednesday.
Douglas County clerk Jamie Shew mailed 8,562 ballots Wednesday.
Shew urged voters to use secure drop boxes.
Douglas County voters must request absentee ballots by Oct. 27 and postmark them by Nov. 3.

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