Vote Tuesday >> Change the World

Election day is coming and you need to get out your vote.

1. Voting is your duty
2. All votes count
3. You don't vote you can't bitch

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I AM SICK OF ELECTION DAY MISINFORMATION AND PESSIMISM

I have seen tons of groups and heard lots of people saying that their vote doesn't count. That is simply untrue. There are so many safe guards in place to protect your vote as to be overboard.

Bipartisan

Your ballot is always in the presence of at least one democrat and one republican until officially counted. This includes un-voted ballots.

Ballots

The total number of 'ballots in' and 'ballots out' are confirmed within minutes of election. I am not aware of there ever being a problem here, but the first line of defense is the sheriff if there is a discrepancy.

There are several copies of each vote -- one paper original ballot, one digital photograph of ballot, and one printout of total votes by issue/candidate by precinct. The totals on these three formats must match. The board of election assures this shortly after election. (All votes are anonymous by person but traceable by ward).

Identification

As long as you are registered to vote in Ohio you will be able to vote.

If you are cannot or will not provide identification (including drivers license number or last four of your social security number) you can still vote a provisional ballot. Once your identity is confirmed by the board of elections the vote is counted.

If you are unsure if you are registered you can vote a provisional ballot. The board of elections will confirm your registration -- if registered it counts.

Polling Location

You are to vote at the assigned polling place. This assignment is based on where you lived thirty days before the election. College students may vote at the place of their parent's house if that is where they registered. The reason for this is that both parties feel that local issues should be decided by locals.

Consider "no taxation without representation" -- the people who will pay that tax should be the ones deciding if it is enacted. If you are unsure where that is or are unable to get there call the board of elections for direction while the polls are open (your vote needs to be recorded on election day).

Voter Intent

A vote on the ballot is based on "voters intent." In the event of ambiguity there is a county level review. If the county cannot determine "voters intent" then there is a state level review. The 2006 ballots are essentially scantron, so unless you draw a line through all of the bubbles intent should be pretty clear. The review boards contain both democrats and republicans.

Voter Error

If a person votes for too many candidates on a line, say the democrat and the republican, they can exchange that soiled ballot with the election judge. A person can request a new ballot up to two times (the old page would be marked void and replaced by the election judges).

If the person votes for too many candidates, as above, but doesn't realize it until after the vote - they should be assured all other lines and votes are still counted per their direction.

Close Margin

In the event of a close vote a recount is possible. The state funds an automatic recount if the difference is less than 0.25%, generally counties and cities use the same guide line. A party or candidate may request a recount if they wish, but it would be done at their expense.