(Pennsylvania) As people get ready to prepare mail-in ballots for the 2024 presidential election, some do not appear in good condition, however, a process can create a new one to be properly counted. This process is commonly referred to as “ballot duplication” which involves taking a damaged ballot that can’t be scanned by election machines and transcribing the votes onto a new, clean ballot that can be counted. The original ballot is preserved in this process. Ballot duplication can also be used if voters improperly marked their ballot, such as using the wrong type of writing tool. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, forty-two states, including Pennsylvania, use ballot duplication. 

Source for Photo: FILE – Chester County, Pa., election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester, Pa., Nov. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)