Absentee ballots in Massachusetts on election day?

You would think absentee ballots would be one of those documents strictly controlled, not something a community activist would have stacks of. Except of course…

Here is the video posted recently by Michelle Malkin who credits Election Journal.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2fNwttq23s

OK, first I want to put my nickle in. These are absentee ballots for the election today that needed to be applied for by last Friday. Is this a “one ballot per person” kind of deal or does William Galvin – Massachusetts Secretary of State – allow them to be handed out in bulk?

These do not seem to be copies, but the authentic document (in my opinion). The text is not blurred (sorry about the video cap) and the printer feed holes are close to the edge and they would not show up this well in a copy of the document.

These are not examples of today’s ballots.

Can someone from the Bay State confirm these look the same as the official ballots?

Why would Isabel Melendez have multiple copies of these official state documents?

Per the official Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application, the application is for use by…

• A registered voter who will be unable to vote at the polls on election day due to:
(1) absence from your city or town during normal polling hours; or
(2) physical disability preventing you from going to the polling place; or
(3) religious belief;
OR
• A non-registered voter who is:
(1) a Massachusetts citizen absent from the state; or
(2) an active member of the armed forces or merchant marines, their spouse or dependent; or
(3) a person confined in a correctional facility or a jail, except if by reason of felony conviction.

Melendez seems to be a radio talk show host on WEEC, and she notes in the video she dedicated her show yesterday to “this.” Click on the picture below to view full size. Her hair color today is blond, but it’s the same person. After a short few minutes of research, many found Melendez ran for mayor in Lawrence, Mass.

Isabel Melendez, Community Service Center program director, is co-host of this four days a week, two hours a day radio call-in program. The first show was heard on March 23, 1998. The purpose is to provide a medium for the community to receive and share information pertinent to the Greater Lawrence community. The show is aired on WEEC 1490 AM, Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am – 11:00 am.

Additional information here.

As a reminder, there is a penalty in Massachusetts for illegal absentee voting. From the application…

More on absentee ballots from the state’s site, with my emphasis in bold. I’m not sure where Melendez was standing during the video, but if voters showed up with absentee ballots and Melendez was simply telling them how to fill out the ballot, they can not submit the ballot at the polling place.

Returning your absentee ballot. . .
You may return your completed absentee ballot by mail or you or a family member may hand-deliver it to the local election official.  Your completed ballot cannot be delivered directly to your polling place on Election Day.

If mailing your ballot, please make sure to include the proper postage.

To be counted, a completed ballot must be received by the time the polls close on Election Day to be counted.

If you are voting from outside the United States, your completed absentee ballot for a final state or city election can be received up until 10 days after the election, but must be postmarked on or before Election Day.

…

How do I return my absentee ballot to my local election official?
After marking your ballot, insert it into the inner envelope provided and seal that inner envelope. Read and sign the affirmation on the inner envelope. Place the signed and sealed inner envelope in the mailing envelope provided with your ballot. The ballot can either be mailed back to your local election official or your or a family member may deliver it by hand to the local election official. You cannot deliver an absentee ballot directly to the polling place on Election Day.

If you personally can deliver it by hand to the local election official, you do not meet the qualifications for getting an absentee ballot in the first place. You must vote in person on election day and should destroy the absentee ballot in front of an election official (AFAIC).

Absentee ballots are an open invitation to fraud when done in this way.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air is writing about polling, turnout and exit polls. He mentions Melendez, as does Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit.