Ballot Scanner Issues Reported In Ohio

[OhioChick]

Source: Newsnet5.com

POSTED: 1:11 pm EST November 4, 2008

CINCINNATI -- An official with the Hamilton County Board of Elections confirms some ballot scanners are not functioning in a few polling places, but said those votes will be counted.

Sally Krisel, Director of the Board, said the issues they have encountered are not out of the ordinary for elections. She was uncertain what locations the scanners are down, NewsChannel5 sister station WCPO-TV reported.

Krisel said the paper ballots will be placed in a sealed envelope and then transferred to the Board's headquarters to be scanned later Tuesday night.

Scanner issues were reported at a polling location in Westwood. Skyline Community Center in Colerain Township was also having issues, according to several viewers.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/politics/17889527/detail.html

[brendan120678]

1. How's the weather in Ohio?

Those optical scan machines tend to crap out if the ballots get damp - like if someone's raincoat is dripping onto the ballot.

[OhioChick]

2. Beautiful day here...

70 and sunny.

[du_grad]

4. Beautiful fall day in NW Ohio

It's 72 degrees and sunny - no excuse not to vote. My husband voted around 10 a.m. this morning and didn't have to wait at all. My sister has reported no wait during the day either. Early voting here was heavy this weekend with 2-3 hour waits in line. We're approaching after work rush now so it will be interesting to see how it is later.

[liberal N proud]

3. 74 in Cleveland

Incredible day to run a GOTV program.

I actually have to make sure my canvassers are hydrated. Lots of water.

[TriplD]

5. I voted on a paper ballot in Ohio

They give you an envelope smaller than the ballot with instructions to fold the ballot to fit in the envelope. If you fold it neatly in half the crease goes straight through the Obama/Biden bubble, since they are listed half-way down the ballot.

Apparently the creases on absentee ballots were causing problems in Florida.

[OhioChick]

6. "Fold the ballot?"

Why?

The ballots are fed right into a machine.

[TriplD]

7. In Worthington Ohio

at my polling place we placed the folded ballots in lick-to-seal envelopes, then in a ballot box.

I recall the sign saying you had a choice between paper and electronic said something about them being counted tonight at the precinct level.


It really freaked me out knowing that there were problems with folded ballots in Florida. After I folded the ballot I opened it up just to see where the crease was and it was right through the middle of the bubble.

I noticed later after reading the Florida stories that the crease was resulting in a positive reading, meaning that this will probably result in non-Obama voters registering as an overvote.