By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
The ballot tallies that start emerging on election night will include the votes of at least a few dead people.
No, this isn’t Chicago. And it’s not a conspiracy.
It’s the law.
Put simply, if someone casts an early ballot and then dies before Election Day, his or her vote is counted.
It starts, according to the Secretary of State’s Office, with the simple matter of practicality.
“How would the (county) recorder know someone died after they mailed their ballot?” said Aaron Thacker, spokesman for the agency.
What’s happening here is different than the normal procedures laid out in the state’s Elections Procedures Manual for how county officials are supposed to deal with “deceased registrants.”
