A Cola reader just contacted us to say he got a letter from King County Elections saying his ballot wasn't going to count because his signature didn't match. He was told to fill out a form to verify his signature and send it in. He has until November 23 to do so.

King County Elections tells us this happens with 1.5 to 2 percent of the ballots that come in every year. Signature "miscomparisons" happen for all kinds of reasons—people inadvertently sign their initials instead of the full name they used on their registration; people change their name; their handwriting has gotten worse for whatever reason (age, health); or they inadvertently sing their roommate or spouses ballot and vice versa by mistake.

Two percent of the current expected vote would be ab0ut 14,000 votes—the current difference between Sen. Patty Murray and Dino Rossi. So, this is a serious issue.

County Elections says about half the people they alert each election about bad sigs, take care of it.