Today's Brew analyzes each state’s laws governing the return of mail-in ballots + previews a special ballot measure election Tuesday in Oklahoma
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Welcome to the Tuesday, Dec. 10, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

* Thirty-six states allow someone other than the voter to return a mail-in ballot
* Oklahoma City voters to decide sales tax measure Tuesda
* 75% of Brew readers who responded to our survey do not classify Buckeyes as cookies 

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** THIRTY-SIX STATES ALLOW SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE VOTER TO RETURN A MAIL-IN BALLOT
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Each state has different laws and deadlines regarding absentee or mail-in ballots, which address how and when such ballots must be printed, distributed, and cast. All states allow absentee balloting by mail to some extent, and three states conduct elections primarily by mail. 

THIRTY-SIX STATES EITHER ALLOW VOTERS TO DESIGNATE SOMEONE WHO CAN RETURN A MAIL-IN BALLOT OR ALLOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIP WITH A VOTER TO RETURN A BALLOT ON THE VOTER’S BEHALF. Ballotpedia’s state-by-state analysis of these ballot return laws identified the following: 

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24 states and the District of Columbia permit the voter to choose someone, in most cases, to return their ballot;

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12 states specify who (i.e., household members, caregivers, and/or family members) may return ballots in most cases;

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One state—Alabama—explicitly allows only the voter to return his or her mail-in ballot; and,

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13 states do not specify whether someone may return another's ballot

[Mail ballot collection] Some states apply additional restrictions regarding the handling of mail-in ballots: 

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11 states specify a maximum number of voters for whom a person can return ballots or a maximum number of ballots a person may return;

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Of the 24 states that allow the voter to choose someone to return a mail-in ballot, nine specify certain people—such as candidates, campaign workers, or union agents—who are not permitted to do so;

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Seven states and the District of Columbia specify that only voters meeting certain criteria may have someone else return their mail-in ballot.

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** OKLAHOMA CITY VOTERS TO DECIDE SALES TAX MEASURE TUESDAY 
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Oklahoma City voters will decide whether to approve a 1% sales tax measure in a special election today—Dec. 10. If approved, the tax would fund the city’s Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) 4 program of proposed city infrastructure and facility projects.  

The MAPS 4 tax would expire in eight years and is expected to raise an estimated $978 million over that time. The three largest recipients of the tax proceeds would be city parks ($140 million), youth centers ($110 million), and the Chesapeake Energy Arena and related facilities ($115 million).

The tax would go into effect in April 2020, when the current 1% transportation sales tax expires. The city’s overall sales tax rate would remain unchanged at 8.625%. The state sales tax rate in Oklahoma is 4.5%. The total Oklahoma City sales tax rate is 4.125%. There are no county-wide or other local sales taxes in Oklahoma City. If voters do not approve the measure, Oklahoma City's overall sales tax will decrease to 7.625% when the city's existing transportation sales tax expires in April 2020.

THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED SEPT. 24 TO PUT THE MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. The council would have final authority over the administration of the program but a volunteer advisory board would have detailed oversight. Oklahoma City’s next regular municipal election—when four of the council’s eight seats are up for election—is in 2021.  

Voters could decide next year on another 0.125% sales tax measure to fund city park maintenance and operations. Former City Council Member Ed Shadid filed petitions for a citizen initiative proposing the measure on Dec. 2. If city officials verify the petitions have the 6,499 valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, voters could decide the initiative during the state’s presidential primary on March 3 or state legislative primaries June 30. The tax is expected to generate about $15 million per year.

Learn more→ ([link removed])
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** 75% OF BREW READERS WHO RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY DO NOT CLASSIFY BUCKEYES AS COOKIES
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This week we’re combining our passion for elections with our love of cookies in Ballotpedia’s 2019 Holiday Cookie Election. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to vote—at this page right here ([link removed]) — for your favorite holiday cookie. We are so excited about this fun exercise. We have profiles of all the candidates and we're using ranked-choice voting to decide the winner. Make your voice heard and cast votes through December 12!

We started thinking about cookies last week in our _What’s the Tea?_ question. (Although, to be honest, who really ever stops thinking about cookies, right?) We were having a spirited debate among Ballotpedia staff about peanut butter balls—also known as Buckeyes—and whether they should be classified as cookies. 

Brew readers voted, and the results were decisive:

[Buckeye results]

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