After nearly 18,000 returned mail-in ballots were rejected statewide for September’s primary, local clerks and election officials are making some adjustments to prepare for next month’s presidential election. 

In Lynn, more than 3 percent, or 260, of the mail-in ballots that were returned for last month’s primary were rejected, according to data provided by Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office.

The city’s percentage of rejected ballots is higher than surrounding communities, and its total number of rejected ballots is the highest on the North Shore. 

Only Beverly, with 121 rejected mail-in ballots, also hit the triple digits, according to Galvin’s office. 

Having a higher number of rejected ballots in Lynn is not surprising, City Clerk Janet Rowe said, citing the city’s larger population and higher number of registered voters. 

“It’s a much bigger city and we have a lot more ballots,” said Rowe. “Considering them percentage-wise, that’s not a lot.” 

For example, 52 mail-in ballots were rejected in Lynnfield, which accounted for 2.57 percent of its mail-in ballots that were returned; and 2.38 percent, or 112, of the returned ballots were rejected in Revere, according to Galvin’s office. 

A total of 17,872 mail-in ballots were rejected statewide, which accounted for 1.72 percent of ballots that were returned for the Sept. 1 primary, according to Galvin’s office.

Mail-in ballots were rejected for a number of reasons, including those that were too late (the top reason), failed delivery, ballots that had no signature, people who had already voted, and ones that were returned without the ballot envelope, according to Galvin’s office. 

In Lynn, Rowe said the four main factors were ballots were returned without a signature; they were sent without the envelope; voters who requested a mail-in ballot, but instead opted to vote in person; and ballots that were returned too late. 

Rowe said her team is making some adjustments ahead of the presidential election next month, noting that she considered the September primary to be a dress rehearsal for the main event. 

For example, the city’s election staff is underlining the signature line and marking with a red X where voters need to sign their ballot envelopes. Stickers are also being used to note where their names and addresses should go, since there were some instances where voters signed it, but didn’t fill in their address, Rowe said.

There are also plans to continue with the strategies employed during the primary. If voters return a ballot without a signature, city election officials immediately call that person to let them know that they can come down to City Hall to sign it, Rowe said. 

If people requested a mail-in ballot, but still show up to the polls to vote, they are asked to wait while poll workers call the city’s election office to verify that they have not already voted. However, that mail-in ballot is still counted as being rejected even if they changed their minds and decided to vote in person, Rowe said. 

“You’re only going to be counted once,” said Rowe. “There’s no way you can vote twice.” 

Some of the ballots that were counted as being rejected is a “misleading” number, adds Salem City Clerk Ilene Simons, noting that ballots that were returned without a signature were still technically rejected even if a second one sent out to the person was returned correctly. 

“We always try to circle with a green marking pen — that’s where their signature goes — and just hope they read the instructions,” said Simons. “I don’t know if there’s really a way of fixing that, but I am doing a little bit more on the (city) website in terms of how to return a ballot. I will be reiterating: sign the ballot and put it in the inner envelope.”  

Another main reason for rejected ballots in Salem — where 1.14 percent, or 88, of returned ballots were counted as being rejected — was people who changed their minds and chose to vote in person, rather than by mail, Simons said. 

Overall, Simons is pleased by Salem’s percentage of rejected ballots, which is lower than the statewide number, but said her office always strives for improvement. 

She said Salem’s election office is pushing for voters to return their ballots as soon as possible to give them time to send their rejected ballots back to them. And there will be more public awareness on the city’s end, in terms of letting people know how important it is to fill out their ballots correctly so their votes will be counted, Simons said.

“I don’t want to scare people that they’re being rejected willy nilly,” said Simons. “There are reasons and there are methods in place to fix that.” 

In Swampscott, 1.87 percent, or 88, of the returned mail-ballots were rejected, which Town Clerk Susan Duplin mainly attributes to ballots that were sent back too late, failed delivery, and voters who requested a mail-in ballot but still went to the polls to vote in person. 

It makes sense that there would be a high number of rejected ballots, said Duplin, citing the much higher voter turnout that was seen in this primary (42 percent) in comparison to the last presidential primary year (11 percent) four years ago. 

Although Duplin said the rejected ballots are mainly due to the post office process, rather than anything Town Hall did, she encourages people to check their voting status early and track their mail-in ballots on the secretary of state’s website. 

The percentage of rejected mail-in ballots varied in other North Shore communities. In Saugus, 1.68 percent, or 56, of the returned ballots were rejected; 1.21 percent, or 97, mail-in ballots were rejected in Peabody;  0.98 percent, or 47, of returned ballots were rejected in Marblehead; and Nahant had 0.81 percent, or six, of its mail-in ballots rejected, according to Galvin’s office. 

Despite the high numbers of rejected ballots in Lynn, Rowe is optimistic going into November’s election. She and her team have been working 10-hour days to prepare for the election, and more than 13,500 mail-in ballots have been sent out to voters, she said. 

“I think we’ll probably definitely hit the 20,000 mark for mail-in ballots, and with early voting, I think we’ll have a lot of early ballots,” said Rowe, noting that Lynn has 54,307 registered voters.

“We’re optimistic because I think we’re prepared. Like every other city and town, nobody expected the huge volume of mail-in voting. But I think we have a much better process going, so I think we’re much better prepared.”