Naked Ballots: The Hanging Chads of 2020?

In the 2000 election, which was eventually decided by the US Supreme Court, hanging chads from ballots in Florida were a point of contention in deciding whether the ballots were counted.

During the 2020 general election, at least 16 states including Ohio provided absentee voters with a “secrecy sleeve” in addition to an outer envelope, voter instructions, and the ballot itself. A secrecy sleeve, also called an inner envelope or “privacy sleeve,” is a paper envelope (or, in some cases, a folded piece of paper) within which voters place their absentee ballots. If the ballot is sent without the secrecy sleeve it is considered a naked ballot.

A Lawfare article covers the ins and outs of the naked ballot, secrecy sleeves, and the unusual aspects of federalism that created the American electoral processes.