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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Is one ballot box per county enough for the 2020 election?

Credit: WCPO Cincinnati
Duration: 02:10s 0 shares 1 views

Is one ballot box per county enough for the 2020 election?
Is one ballot box per county enough for the 2020 election?

Each of Ohio’s 88 counties will have exactly one dropbox for voters to deposit their ballots in November, Secretary of State Frank LaRose ruled Wednesday.

Those who can’t or don’t want to make the trip will need to vote in person or mail their ballots in, as usual.

Ohio Democratic Party chairman David Pepper said that stance worries him.

He’s concerned people in some areas won’t have a fast, accessible way to vote.

OHIO COUNTIES GET ONE SECUREBALLOT BOX FOR VOTERS TO USEIN NOVEMBER.SOME PEOPLEEXPECTED MORE BECAUSE OFCORONAVIRUS AND CONCERNS ABOUTPOSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY.

SOWHAT NOW?REPORTER LARRY SEWARDHEARD PLENTY OF DEBATE.(larry looklive)"When pressedon what it means for voters...voices on both sides of Ohio'sballot drop box rule soundsimilar..."(sot/ tc 2:56-57/alex triantifilou/ hamilton corepublican party, chairman)"exercise your right early..."(sot/ tc 4:15-18/ davidpepper/ ohio democratic party,chairman)"get it done early.get your application now..."(larry looklive continues)"...but they hardly see eye toeye."(sot/ tc 2:12-26/ alextriantifilou/ hamilton corepublican party, chairman)"wethink the drop box issue wasreally politically motivatedby chairman pepper of thedemocratic party..."(sot/ tc6:20/ david pepper/ ohiodemocratic party, chairman)"there's nothing politicalabout a drop box.

It's a boxwhere you put a vote in thatgets picked up by the board ofelections..."(track)Beforegetting this orderyesterday... Hamilton County'sBoard of Elections took bidsto build secure ballot boxesmiles down the road from itsNorwood office.Ohio Democratspushed for it.But Secretary ofState Frank LaRose ruled oneper county is enough.(sot/ tc1:46/ david pepper/ ohiodemocratic party, chairman)"yeah thanks a lot..."(track)Ohio Democratic Party chairmanDavid Pepper expected more.(sot/ tc 4:42/ david pepper/ohio democratic party,chairman)"it makes no sense.it's a ridiculous decision."(sot/ tc 2:03/ david pepper/ohio democratic party,chairman)"...we're in apandemic.

We should be lookingfor every possible to way tomake voting easy and safe."(sot/ tc 10:16/ david pepper/ohio democratic party,chairman)"if other states cando this securely, which theydo, if the current Republicangovernor of Georgia iscomfortable with it or Alaska,Ohio is probably, I hope,smart enough to figure out howto do it, too."(sot/ tc 3:02/david pepper/ ohio democraticparty, chairman)"i think it'sreally an insult to the votersthat to deliver your vote intoa dropbox you have to drive for anhour.

I mean what a waste ofpeople's time."(track)Butcounty Republican chair andBoard of Elections member AlexTriantifilou...(sot/ tc 1:14/alex triantifilou/ hamiltoncounty republican party,chairman)"...we think thesecretary came down with theright decision today."(track... believes adding andsecuring new boxes with 55days left before voting startsis too risky and that Pepper'spush for more ballot boxes ispurely partisan.(sot/ tc2:12/16-26/ alex triantifilou/hamilton co republican party,chairman)"you know that's hisjob.

Our job as members of theboard of elections is to bringa more adult perspective.

Andthe perspective now is weshould do it the way we'vealways done it."(sot/ tc 1:18/alex triantifilou/ hamilton corepublican party, chairman)"you've got a lot of ways tovote.

That's what i would wantto public to know.

Not havingdropboxes in remote areas thatcan't be monitored is notgoing to hinder your abilityto cast a vote."(sot/ tc :14/alex triantifilou/ hamilton corepublican party, chairman)"...it means you can use oneof the myriad of other ways tovote." (track)With questionsabout the Postal Service'sability to deliver ballots ontime... Pepper fears a returnto those long primary electionday lines... when most peoplewere supposed to vote by mail.But with in-person early,election day, drop box andmail voting all beingoptions... election officialspredict less confusion andsound ready to move forward.Larry Seward... WCPO... NineNews.

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