Question for all you election experts, i.e. if some of you worked on an election please respond.
2020 saw the greatest increase in vote by mail.
Consequently the chances for signature verification errors increased with out a question.
So I've not heard any studies though of mail in ballots that the analysis of those ballots that had a different signature on the request for an absentee ballot than on the return envelope that contained the ballot.
Now being over 65, I've for several elections have voted absentee. And I have no argument with the process.
But I've not heard of any election officials that have done any analysis of signatures that were found different on the ballot envelope versus the signature on the request.
Here is an example:
But to my knowledge the "questioned signature" (on the right) had characteristics that could have been compared with other "questioned signatures" to see if there were commonalities.
In the AZ election the difference between Hobbs winning over Lake was 17,116 votes.
Which was correct signature?
The reason that is important is that all you have to do is request once... and then thereafter future ballots will be mailed to the address...regardless if the voter has moved.
azsos.gov
So with 38,909 ballots where the request signature and the returned ballot signature are definitely different.
With 17,116 votes difference and the below votes along with 38,000+ that WERE counted but obviously different signatures, there is a problem.
Remember election verification process specifically in Az. has this guide for signature verification.
The concept, in theory, is simple. First, voters are mailed their ballot and a return envelope. After filling out the ballot, voters are asked to place it in the envelope, seal it, and then sign the envelope's exterior. When election officials receive the ballot envelope from the voter, these officials compare the signature on the return envelope to one or more of the voter's signatures on file. If the signatures are sufficiently similar, it is considered to be reasonable evidence that the registered voter cast the ballot.