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Large voter turnout will put Ohio to the test
The Youngstown Vindicator
August 07, 2008
Four years ago, 72 percent of the registered voters in Ohio went to the polls in the November general election and the Buckeye State made national news. But not because of the turnout. The election was so plagued by problems that it became the subject of independent and Congressional inquiries.
Against that backdrop, Ohio is bracing for this year's presidential contest when 80 percent of the 7.59 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots. Will the state be up to the challenge of having a comparatively problem-free election?
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who took office in January 2007 pledging to restore Ohio's electoral credibility, believes that with the preparation being made and with the boards of elections in all 88 counties following the same security and voting guidelines, things will run smoothly.
But, Brunner is also well aware that last-minute hitches could undermine the best laid plans, which is why she is urging Ohioans to take advantage of absentee balloting.
As we have noted previously, the state now permits no-fault absentee voting, which means voters do not have to provide a reason for not being able to go to the polls on election day.
Such a ballot can be cast starting 35 days before the Nov. 4 election.
Given the long lines that will undoubtedly be found, especially in heavily populated areas, it makes sense for voters to take advantage of the option.
Fail-safe system?
But for those Ohioans who believe that election day is sacred, Brunner has instituted what could be viewed a fail-safe system so there isn't a repeat of what occurred four years ago at polling places.
As the New York Times reported last month in a story about how states are preparing for this election, hundreds of voters in Knox County, many of them Kenyon College students, had to wait more than nine hours after one of two voting machines at their polling place just off campus broke down. The Times story also referred to reports of lines where the wait was several hours long in at least three other counties.
"We refuse to let that happen," the newspaper quoted Brunner as saying. The secretary of state explained that she will instruct all boards of elections in counties that use touch-screen machines, including Mahoning and Trumbull, to order backup paper ballots equal to at least a quarter of the votes cast there in the 2004 presidential election.
In a recent interview with The Vindicator, Brunner said that if the lines get too long in counties with touch-screen machines, elections officials will be instructed to give voters the option of casting a paper ballot before the polls close.
But, she also acknowledged that poll workers and elections officials must be trained to deal with any problems that may come up.
In this regard, Brunner is developing a reference guide for poll workers that replicates the flip charts created by Mahoning County. The charts provides answers to questions about workers' duties, voter identification, how to open and close the polls, security, vote challenges and write-in candidates.
"I was so excited by the flip charts," Brunner said. "We like the concept."
But in the end, the success of this year's election in Ohio will depend on everyone, from the secretary of state to the voter, doing what they can to make this battleground state a positive national story.
