The November election is right around the corner and community members are beginning to submit their ballots.
"I filled out my ballot last week and mailed it in on Friday," said John Tintle, Nipomo resident.
But when he opened his mailbox on Monday, he found a second ballot.
"So I called the Recorder's Office. I waited a day to see if they received my first ballot and told them what happened," Tintle said.
He said the second ballot was a cause for concern.
"Others might see that as an opportunity to make their vote count twice," Tintle added.
San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano says there are a few reasons why someone could receive a second ballot.
If a voter doesn't receive their initial ballot, they can request a replacement.
"There is a good chance that while we're sending that second ballot that the first ballot gets there, so now they have two ballots," Cano said.
She says the most common reason for receiving a second ballot is due to transactions that happen at the DMV.
If someone renews their driver's license, purchases a new vehicle, renews their registration, or buys a boat, there is a button that asks if the person is registered to vote.
"And if they said 'yes' and they continue to respond to the prompts, it gets to a point where it then re-registers them," Cano explained.
That causes a second ballot to be sent.
"Whatever changes they made at the DMV triggers a new registration on our end which means a new ballot must then be issued," Cano said.
"This incident with the DMV bothered me that there could be a possibility for affecting the outcome of the vote," Tintle said.
But Cano says only one ballot is counted.
"Our system is set up to recognize the first ballot that comes in. It's called 'the first one in wins,'" she said.
So even if someone receives and submits multiple ballots, their vote only counts once.
"So when that one comes in, we scan it through the process, we accept it, and that automatically voids out whatever other ballot is out there," Cano explained.
Election Day is November 8. For additional coverage of the 2022 General Election, click here.
