Punched holes in the ballot envelopes serve as a tactile guide for visually impaired voters to locate the signature area and allow Voter Registration and Elections staff to verify that all ballot cards have been removed from returned envelopes. There is no way to determine how a voter voted through the envelopes, according to the Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections. Photo courtesy of Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections staff recently learned about online posts concerning the Nov. 4 Statewide Special Election ballot and envelope. (Proposition 50 is on the ballot.)

These posts claim that when folded and placed back in the return envelope, a voter’s ballot selection can be seen through the holes in the envelope.

To help address voter concerns, Sacramento County put together a checklist of facts to assist the voting process.

There are at least eight ways to insert a ballot card into the return envelope, and only two of these might result in a bubble being visible through the hole. There is no way to determine how a voter voted through this small hole.

Our ballot cards contain a single question printed on one side. Concerned voters can fold their ballot so the blank side faces outward before placing it in the envelope.

The punched holes in our ballot envelopes, introduced in 2008, are a best practice in most California counties. They serve as a tactile guide for visually impaired voters to locate the signature area and allow Voter Registration and Elections staff to verify that all ballot cards have been removed from returned envelopes.

For a foolproof guide on folding your ballot to insert into your return envelope, a quick how-to video has been posted to the County of Sacramento’s official YouTube channel at youtube.com/shorts/cF_TQODKZgM.

If you plan on voting by mail or ballot drop box and want to track your ballot, use the Sacramento County My Voter Portal at myvoterportal.saccounty.gov/LookupVoter or sign up for BallotTrax at california.ballottrax.net/voter.

For more information, contact the Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections at 916- 875-6451 or email [email protected]. You can also call our toll-free voter assistance hotline at 800-762-8019. The hotline can connect voters with disabilities with TTY (Text Telephone).