Ohio Voting Count 'Nightmare' Looms

From Drudge:

With the presidential election expected to hinge on Ohio, the state’s former secretary of state, GOP stalwart Kenneth Blackwell,
is warning that a little-known change in the Buckeye State’s absentee-ballot process could lead to a “nightmare scenario.”

For the first time in the key swing state’s history, Blackwell says,
virtually all Ohio voters this year were mailed an application for an absentee ballot.
In previous elections, most Ohio voters had to request an application for an absentee ballot to receive one.

Anyone who is sent an absentee ballot — including those who do not complete it and mail it in —
and later shows up at the polls on Election Day to cast their ballot in person
will be instructed to instead complete a provisional ballot.

And under Ohio election law, provisional ballots cannot be opened until 10 days after an election.

Link to report

That just seems like a catastrophe in the making, given that so much hinges on Ohio.

On one side, the possibility of voter fraud seems massive,
but the idea of waiting ten days to investigate these ballots opens up so much more of the possibility!

No.. this can't be right.... so the names of almost every Ohio voter in the state, on the printed rolls on election day, will be flagged a provisional ballet because the computers will show they got one mailed too?! Naww.. I can't be seeing this right.

Err..... I am huh?

U.S. just trying to keep up with the rest of the world ...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I'm still researching, but from what I gather so far, everyone was sent an application for the ballot.
If someone filled out the application for the absentee ballot, but doesn't send it in,
they are then given a provisional ballot.

Provisional ballots cannot be viewed for ten days after the election, for some reason.

reply to post by Oaktree


Absentee ballots are not counted on election day but in the days after. My mother holds a public office in Ohio and her election was determined by the absentee ballots and was essentially announced the other person won until the absentee ballots were counted and then she won.

So, the 10 day provisional ballot is so the state can ensure those who vote at the polls did not double dip and vote twice once absentee and once at the poll.

My question is... are they really going to match them all up? Whose idea was this? this is absurd. What a friggin nightmare.

Here are some links from other sources confirming this (almost unavoidable) fustercluck.
I attempted to mix up the sources a bit, for all concerned.

Democratic Underground

Daily Beast

outside the beltway

Ohio Provisional Ballot Rules

Here is a link to the reasoning behind the 10 day wait to count the provisional ballots in Ohio.

Originally posted by Oaktree
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

I'm still researching, but from what I gather so far, everyone was sent an application for the ballot.
If someone filled out the application for the absentee ballot, but doesn't send it in,
they are then given a provisional ballot.

Provisional ballots cannot be viewed for ten days after the election, for some reason.

There's the application and then the actual ballot - if you didn't send in the application, you're fine, but if you sent in the application (and thus got the ballot in the mail), then you have to use the ballot - otherwise if you go to the polls, you'll have to do the provisional. I see the potential here, but I have a feeling it will end up being a non-story.

reply to post by Oaktree


Ohhh.. that so sounds like a scheme to facilitate corruption. I mean that will leave millions of ballots out there that probably hit the trash that can now be faked. I mean, why would they do this this year? Why would they do it anyway?

Seems like a scam. It becomes pretty obvious that there is something big planned for Ohio.

The only difference with former elections is that people automatically get a form by which they can vote as absentee. So what? People could decide to vote twice, but the only result is that, if this was done massively, counting (and checking for double-voting) takes more time.

reply to post by k21968

My mother holds a public office in Ohio and her election was determined by the absentee ballots and was essentially announced the other person won until the absentee ballots were counted and then she won.

Exactly!
That whole race was dependent on those absentee ballots, then called for the other person (your Mother) later.

Extrapolate that scenario by the 6 million plus voters statewide.

What a friggin nightmare.

Indeed!

Originally posted by tinhattribunal
U.S. just trying to keep up with the rest of the world ...

That's funny - The one on the right has "Man Hands"

Did Ohio have problems last time round?

reply to post by redtic

otherwise if you go to the polls, you'll have to do the provisional. I see the potential here, but I have a feeling it will end up being a non-story.

The provisional ballots can not be counted (or viewed) for ten days after the election.
What if that number is 250,000?

reply to post by redtic

otherwise if you go to the polls, you'll have to do the provisional. I see the potential here, but I have a feeling it will end up being a non-story.

For what it's worth:

According to his office, some 1.4 million voters returned the application and were mailed an Absentee Ballot.
So far, about 620,000 of those Absentee ballots have been returned

Hot Air

My math tells me that's over 800,000 "provisional" ballots, so far.

Originally posted by Pedro4077

Originally posted by tinhattribunal
U.S. just trying to keep up with the rest of the world ...

That's funny - The one on the right has "Man Hands"

Did Ohio have problems last time round?

edit on 1-11-2012 by Pedro4077 because: (no reason given)

I believe Ohio hasn't had any problems in recent Presidential elections.

Oh wait, forgot about 2004

and

2000

I live in ohio and did not receive an absentee ballot.

So, I don't know what their definition of virtually all ohio voters is.

reply to post by filosophia


Interesting.
Did you receive an application for an absentee ballot?
The articles used the word "virtually" when stating Ohio voters received applications.

I am always leery about the word "virtually".

Originally posted by Pedro4077

Originally posted by tinhattribunal
U.S. just trying to keep up with the rest of the world ...

That's funny - The one on the right has "Man Hands"

Did Ohio have problems last time round?

edit on 1-11-2012 by Pedro4077 because: (no reason given)

Okay, that Simpsons video deserves it's own thread in the jokes forum. It really does. I'd start one if it wasn't already here.. That's one of the funniest things I've watched this whole season!

reply to post by Oaktree


Are you registered to vote?