What happens to my ballot?
by Tracey Mackay, president of the League of Women Voters of Hudson
This is what happens to your ballot in Summit County when you vote:
Before Polls Open
All poll workers attend training prior to Election Day. The night before the election, poll workers set up and test all equipment, then disassemble and secure it. Poll workers arrive by 5:30 a.m. on Election Day. They set up and test all equipment before polls open at 6:30 a.m.
Two important notes:
- Election equipment does not use public internet. It communicates only within its own secure devices. It is not accessible outside the system.
- Everything, from the ballots to equipment, is managed and secured by two poll workers, one Republican and one Democrat.
At the polls
Voters present the poll worker with a valid ID. Valid ID includes an unexpired Ohio Driver’s license, Ohio ID card, Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV, U.S. Passport or card, U.S. military ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card. All ID must be current (not expired), have a photograph of the voter and the voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears on the poll list. Digital IDs in Apple Wallet are not acceptable ID.
The poll worker checks the voter’s ID with the poll list and has them identify their registered address. The registered address does not have to match the address on the Ohio ID. Voters can check their registration at ohiosos.gov.
In-person voters will receive the correct ballot for their precinct and be directed to a standing table where they will mark their answers. When voters complete their ballot, they feed it into the ClearCast (machine) to be tabulated. Note: Only regular ballots (not provisional ballots) are inserted into the ClearCast.
Once voters have been checked in and voted, they cannot vote again anywhere. If a voter has requested an absentee ballot but then votes in person, that voter is given a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot is secured separately and counted only if the absentee ballot was not received.
After polls close
Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Poll workers follow a very specific checklist to close the polls. They count, crosscheck and secure all the ballots and equipment. A copy of the Vote Total Report is posted at the outside entrance of the voting location to be viewed by the public.
The ballots and required voting materials and supplies are transported to Summit County Board of Elections or their assigned location by representatives of both major political parties. The BOE continues escorting the ballots and equipment with two employees (always a Republican and a Democrat). After the deadline for mail-in ballots, the results are then audited. This is open to the public.
According to Ohio’s Secretary of State, Summit County had a post-election accuracy rate for November 2023 of 99.98%. Most counties scored 100%.
2024 General Election dates to know
Early In-Person Voting: Begins Oct. 8 and includes the two Saturdays and the two Sundays before Election Day.
Absentee Voting by Mail: Begins Oct. 8.
Election Day: Nov. 5; Polls open 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be received by your board of elections by 7:30 p.m. ∞