A big frustration for election officials in Oregon are ballots they can’t count. In Deschutes County, two problems are the most common. Voters forget to sign their ballot or a signature has changed so much from the time that a person registered that it is challenged by election workers.

Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship says almost everyone’s signature changes as they age. She said she used to be able to distinguish all the letters in her name. Now people can see the “N” and “B” and maybe the “p.” That’s about it.

Election workers want to ensure that the signature on file matches the signature on the ballot envelope. And when they have an issue with the signature or no signature, the ballot is challenged. A notice is mailed to the voter’s address, notifying them. The issue can usually be resolved quickly. And it can even be resolved up to 14 days after the election date has passed.

There were 200-300 ballots challenged for these reasons during the May primary in Deschutes County. Blankenship expects double that number this November because of the increase in turnout.

This year there is also a new state law in effect. Eight days after an election, the list of voters whose ballots are still challenged becomes a matter of public record.

Blankenship says she is not going to publish the list. But if somebody makes a public records request for it, it will be released. It could be an issue in close races in which the challenged ballots could make the difference. Nobody requested the list after the May primary, Blankenship says.

One issue that some voters worry about is that they forget to put their ballot in the secrecy envelope and just stick it in the signature envelope and send it off. Blankenship said that doesn’t matter. The secrecy envelope is there to provide greater privacy protection for a ballot. It is not necessary for it to be counted.

Please remember to vote. And if there is a problem with your signature, you do have the opportunity to ensure your ballot gets counted.