Letter to the editor: Ballot curing ensures all votes count

Contrary to the opinions of Westmoreland County Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew, the county is woefully out of step compared with practices in other Southwestern Pennsylvania counties regarding “ballot curing” — the notification and correction of minor errors on mail-in or absentee ballots before certification (“Westmoreland commissioners decline to consider ballot curing for November election,” Sept. 11, TribLive).

Ballot curing ensures every eligible vote counts and that no voter is disenfranchised due to correctable mistakes such as missing signatures, signature mismatches or incomplete information. By adopting a ballot curing process, the county would protect voter rights by allowing residents to correct errors before their ballots are rejected, increase election integrity by ensuring voter intent is accurately reflected in final results and enhance public trust through clear communication and fair procedures.

We urge the commissioners to work with the county Election Bureau to provide timely notification to affected voters via multiple methods (phone, email, mail, text), establish a defined period for voters to cure errors and make the process easy, secure and free of charge. What are we afraid of? Why disenfranchise voters?

Gloria McDevitt

Latrobe