Ohio deploys 1,100 election monitors as touch-screen glitches appear at polls
Volunteers are stationed in 33 counties to assist voters with identification issues and provisional ballots following June's ID law changes.
By Abigail Brooks ·
Ohio election protection teams are operating in 33 counties today to assist voters during the midterm elections. The effort includes 1,100 trained volunteers, a figure executive director Catherine Turcer of Common Cause Ohio described as distinct from prior years. The team comprises poll monitors, peacekeepers, and legal monitors working across the state.
Steve David, director of All Voting is Local Ohio, noted that many polling locations in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Mahoning counties shifted to new sites this year. These changes increase the likelihood that voters may arrive at the wrong location or face identification hurdles. Poll monitors are positioned to help resolve these issues before they affect ballot counts.
A primary focus for monitors is tracking provisional ballots. David explained that voters who cast provisional ballots due to lack of adequate identification have a four-day cure period. He advised these voters to visit their local board of elections by Saturday to ensure their ballots are secured for counting. This step is critical because Ohio passed new voter ID laws in June, and 760 voters had their provisional ballots discarded during the recent primary.
Federal election observers from the Department of Justice are present at some polling places in Medina, Franklin, and Cuyahoga counties. Maria Bruno, executive director of Ohioans Against Extremism, stated that her organization’s legal monitors have not yet reported instances of intimidation. She said the federal observers are not expected to participate in the tally or certification processes conducted by local boards of elections.
The state’s voter protection hotline has recorded localized technical issues, primarily involving touch-screen calibration. David reported that screens occasionally failed to register the voter's intended choice or switched options during the voting process. In most cases, voters noticed the error and corrected their selections. Election boards were contacted in each instance to verify machine functionality.
Mechanical jams in tabulators also occurred at several locations. David described these jams as fairly common and outlined the standard procedure for handling them. When a tabulator fails, poll workers place the paper ballots in a secure, locked bag. A bipartisan group of workers then transports these bags to the board of elections for manual counting.
Voters encountering issues can contact the Ohio voter protection hotline at 866-687-8683. The line allows citizens to ask questions or report challenges while casting their ballots. Advocates continue to monitor the day’s progress, with legal monitors roaming the field to address any emerging disputes.
