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Albemarle County electoral board adopts uniform procedure for surrendered absentee ballots
Summary
The Albemarle County Electoral Board voted unanimously March 12 to adopt a specific handling procedure for absentee ballots returned in person during early voting: confirm the envelope/ballot, write 'void' on the ballot and staple the voided ballot to the outside of the envelope before placing it in the absentee folder, then allow the voter to cast a live ballot.
The Albemarle County Electoral Board voted at its March 12 meeting to adopt a standard procedure for absentee ballots surrendered in person during early voting.
Under the procedure the board approved, staff will open the returned envelope to confirm the voter identity and the ballot issued, write "void" on the returned ballot, staple the voided ballot to the outside of the envelope so the voter's address remains visible, place the packet in the office's absentee (ABS) folder, and then allow the voter to be checked in to cast a live ballot.
A motion to formalize the process was made during discussion about inconsistent handling across locations and was carried after the board asked for a clear, consistent approach. The transcript shows the board responded "Aye" to the vote and the motion was recorded as passed.
The board also convened a closed session under Virginia Code §2.2‑3711.1 to discuss personnel matters and returned to open session to certify the closed session. After returning, the board recorded a motion to approve a personnel/appointment action (transcript text: "I move the approval, for news, election in office. There is for a linear term beginning 03/01/2026."), which the board carried; the transcript records the vote as 'aye' by those present.
Board members said the written, uniform approach is intended to eliminate the recent confusion described during public comment, ensure returned absentee ballots cannot be counted, and preserve an auditable envelope record of the returned ballot. The board asked staff to update chief guidance and training materials to reflect the new practice and to circulate those materials to chiefs and assistant chiefs before the next early‑voting sessions.
No individual vote record (named aye/no/abstain for each member) was provided in the public transcript; the motion's passage is recorded by the board's collective 'aye' responses.
