Fresno architect Todd Clark received five Fresno County ballots for Tuesday’s election at his home.

Two are legitimate, he said, but three others are addressed to people who don’t live there. One is his son, who joined the military in 2015 and votes in Idaho.

Two of the registered voters, including a daughter-in-law, have never lived at his house, he said.

“All of this is a waste of taxpayer money,” said Clark, who describes himself as a conservative. “And it opens the door to fraud.”

To fraudulently vote using the ballots sent to Clark’s home, someone would have to fill out the ballot, forge the voter’s signature on the return envelope, and mail it or put it in a drop box.

Clark said he wouldn’t think of doing that in a million years. That’s illegal. In addition, he said he’s never voted.

“No one has a voice (in California) but the far-lefties,” he said. “And, after seeing all these ballots, how would my vote count?”

What to Do If You Get a Ballot for Someone Else

James Kus, who oversees elections in Fresno County, said his charge is to ensure that every legitimately cast vote is counted. He’s also sympathetic to Clark’s concerns about wasting taxpayer dollars by sending ballots to people who don’t live at their registered addresses.

The best way to address the problem is to return the postcard his office sends before every election notifying voters that a ballot will be sent. When a postcard comes for someone who doesn’t live at your address, mark it “undeliverable” and mail it back to the elections office. The same advice applies to ballots sent to addresses where voters don’t live.

“When we get the postcard or ballot back, that lets us start the process of canceling the registration,” Kus explained.

What if that person moved without notifying the clerk? Can they still vote?

Yes, Kus said, but they’ll have to vote in person.

Will California Stick With Universal Mail Ballots?

Clark wonders why every registered voter is sent a mail ballot. Wouldn’t it be more cost-efficient to mail ballots only to voters requesting one?

That’s the system California used until it switched to universal mail ballots in the November 2020 presidential election. A few years earlier, California designated counties, including Fresno and Madera, to participate in a trial of universal mail ballots under the California Voters Choice Act..

The act also expanded in-person early voting, allowed voters to cast a ballot at any vote center in their county, and provided secure ballot drop-off at county locations. The goal: increase voter turnout.

Might Counties Be Allowed to Decide for Themselves?

Kus said Fresno County could lower its election costs by returning to the old system. The good news is there are rumblings in the state Legislature about allowing counties to decide for themselves which method to use.

“In a county like ours, I could see 15% to 20% of the voters opting out,” Kus said.

But if you want to truly save tax dollars, the best thing to do is give ballots mailed to the wrong address the Elvis Presley treatment.

“Return to sender. Address unknown. No such number. No such zone.”