January 3rd, 2008
Ohio orders counties to offer paper ballot option
Playing things right down to the wire, Ohio election officials have ordered counties that use touch-screen voting machines — there are 55 of them — to provide paper ballots for voters who request them during the March 4 primary, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner wants all counties to dump electronic machines by the November general election. Under the directive, counties must multiply the number of ballots cast in each precinct at previous presidential primary elections by 10 percent to determine the minimum number of ballots to print for each precinct.
Matthew Damschroder, president of the Ohio Association of Election Officials, had a few problems with the late order.
”Election officials are disappointed that this secretary of state chose to wait until the 62nd day before an election to make such a dramatic and unilateral overhaul of Ohio election rules,” Damschroder said.
Even the ACLU is against it — the Ohio branch called it ”a recipe for disaster,” saying it will cause confusion among poll workers and voters as well as logistical and financial problems for counties.
