In 32 U.S. states and in Washington DC, voter signatures on the envelopes containing mail ballots and provisional ballots are checked against signatures on file to verify the identity of each voter.
In the two-part training below, you’ll learn how to tell when two signatures have been created by the same person.
If you’re an election observer watching the signature authentication process in your local election office, watching this training will help you determine whether the process is being done without bias.
You could even apply for a temporary position with your election office and be paid to perform the signature authentication. It’s likely that this training will make you one of the most qualified candidates for such a position!
We’ve also provided for you a checklist you can download and use as a lock screen on your smart phone to remind you of the key points in the training. Choose the image size that matches your phone’s brand and model.
Trainer Sheila Lowe is a nationally known handwriting examiner. Among her many qualifications, she is a charter member of the Scientific Association of Forensic Examiners, where she is the Chair of Ethics Committee and has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Certification. She is the co-chair of the SAFE Standards for document examiners, registered with the National Institute of Standards & Technology.
Part 1
Part 2
Want More Practice?
The New York Times has an interactive article with a practice exercise for signature matching. It’s behind a paywall, but the Times allows you to view a few articles per month without charge. Practice here
Get the Checklist
We have versions of this image for several brands and models of smart phones. If you don’t see your model listed, choose the one that seems to be approximately the shape of your phone screen.
Download a checklist for your smart phone from this Google Drive folder
