LITTLE ROCK, Ark — The deadline to mail in your absentee ballot for the 2020 presidential election is quickly approaching.
But, there are a few things you may want to know before rushing to the post office to drop your ballot in the mail.
In the 2018 primary election, 68 provisional ballots were rejected.
In the general election that year, 232 ballots were rejected.
And nearly 300 (298) ballots this year did not get counted in the March primaries. In all of these rejections, ballots were turned away for one of three reasons.
We checked in with Pulaski County's Director of Elections Bryan Poe to learn the top three reasons mail-in ballots have been rejected over those past couple of elections.
Topping the chart as the leading reason ballots were turned away -- voter statement wasn't submitted.
"That's what we use to identify you and tie you to your voter registration, so we can count your ballot," Poe said.
Number two -- the person put incorrect information on their voter statement.
"A common mistake is a person will be rushing through whenever they're completing the form and they'll put the current date instead of their date of birth," Poe said.
And the third reason -- failure to submit a valid ID or signed affirmation statement.
"Too often what happens is people will not send their ID and then not sign the affirmation statement," he said.
So to recap -- make sure you include your voter statement with correct information on it and don't forget a copy of your ID or signed affirmation statement to verify who you are.
Because remember... your voice matters, so make sure your vote is counted!
If you're considering requesting an absentee ballot, you want to do it as soon as possible.
As we get closer to the election, you run the risk of encountering a number of issues that can cause your ballot to be delayed.
The cut-off for applying to have an absentee ballot mailed to you is seven days before the election -- October 27.