I voted this morning in Fairfield county in Ohio.
This election, Ohio citizens can request a paper ballot if they want and vote a regular ballot. So, after verifying my registration and address, I requested a paper ballot.
The judge tore off a sheet and gave it to me, along with a PROVISIONAL envelope. I filled out the first sheet, and realized there were issues I knew were on the ballot, but not on my sheet.
More screwiness below...
I asked the poll worker where issue 5 and 6 were. He rummaged through his materials and realized there was a second stack of ballots that were the second sheet.
I made my selections on that one, and turned it in. He put it in a provisional envelope and I asked why he was doing that since it was a regular ballot. "That's just what I have to do with paper ballots."
I called the Board of Elections and they said he was wrong and they would call out to the polliing location and correct them.
A couple of things bug me about this:
- How the hell was that guy so unaware of the correct procedure?
- How the hell did he not know the paper ballots had TWO sheets?
- How many people before me who voted on paper ballots before me didn't get to vote on Issue 5, 6, and two other local levies?
I now have to call the BOE later to see if my REGULAR ballot that was put in a PROVISIONAL envelope by a poll worker who didn't know what he was doing is going to be counted correctly without me having to prove that I am me and live where I live (which I already did when I checked in to vote this morning).
TRAIN THE POLL WORKERS BETTER, DAMN IT!
UPDATE:
- I called the Fairfield County BOE and reported it there right after I voted and the lady said she'd call the location and tell them the correct process again.
- I also called the SOS office (Jen Brunner):
You may email the Voting Rights Institute at vri@sos.state.oh.us or by calling toll-free: 1-877-VOTE-VRI (1-877-868-3874).
I spoke to a lady there who was rather surprised at the poll worker's actions. She took my name, number, and said that the AG office will take a close look at all provisional ballots from that polling location and all ballots that were cast correctly would be counted correctly and NOT as provisionals.
UPDATE 2:
I contacted the Columbus Dispatch and a reporter ended up calling me back about the situation. Here's his blog entry and he said he'll follow up in the paper tomorrow:
http://blog.dispatch.com/...