When Ohioans go to vote in person on Election Day, they go to their local precinct polling stations. But in some states, voters go to larger centers that are designated by the counties. That idea was recently floated at a meeting of Ohio elections officials. Those centers are not likely to be a reality in the near future. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports. Ohio’s elections officials have long said they want to reduce the number of provisional ballots cast in Ohio elections. Many times those are cast because voters go to the wrong precinct. But Aaron Ockerman with the Ohio Association of Election Officials says one way to eliminate that problem is by going to large voting centers instead of neighborhood precincts.
Ockerman “Right church, wrong pew, wrong church, wrong pew. Blah Blah Blah. All of that stuff is gone. Completely. As a voter, you can show up anywhere in your county and vote. Period. What does that do for provisional balloting in Ohio? We want to cut provisional balloting? That’s the way you do it.”
Ockerman says areas of the country that are using voting centers report increased voter turnout and decreased costs for administering elections. But the centers are controversial. The Ohio Democratic Party has already passed a resolution against regional voting centers, citing concerns over transportation availabilities as a main obstacle for low income voters. And Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted says he has his questions about voting centers too.
Full Article: Voting Centers Not Likely To Happen In Ohio Anytime Soon | WCBE 90.5 FM.