Judge orders Jefferson Co. mail-in ballots get a second chance

Voters enter and exit the Rogers Park polling station during Monday's early voting. Photo taken Monday, 10/22/18 Voters enter and exit the Rogers Park polling station during Monday's early voting. Photo taken Monday, 10/22/18 Photo: Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise, Photo Editor Photo: Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise, Photo Editor Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Judge orders Jefferson Co. mail-in ballots get a second chance 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Jefferson County judge ordered Monday that dozens of voters whose mail-in ballots were slated for rejection should be notified in time to vote on Tuesday.

At least 86 mail-in ballots were flagged last week for potential discrepancies in signatures between the application form and the returned ballot, elections officials said.

In a Monday restraining order, District Judge Justin Sanderson ordered that the early voting ballot board post the list of voters whose mail-in ballots have been rejected on the Jefferson County elections website by the end of Monday.

The board was also ordered to provide the court all rejected mail-in ballots "so that any of these voters who desire to have their vote counted" can vote at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Tuesday.

PREVIOUSLY: Democrats cry foul over handling of mail-in ballots

The early voting ballot board is a bipartisan group appointed by the county clerk, voter registrar, Democratic and Republican party chairs, sheriff and county judge. Two judges, representing both parties, lead the board.

"The Court finds there is evidence that harm is imminent to Plaintiffs, and if the Court does not issue the temporary restraining order, Plaintiffs will be irreparably injured because the right to vote is a basic civil and political right," the order states.

This is a developing story.