Elections are America’s great equalizer. On Nov. 8, no matter if you are tall, short, big, small, rich, poor, brown, black, white, yellow, and all in between you have the opportunity to exercise your most powerful of rights — one vote. At your Shelby County Board of Elections, our job, in part, is to ensure each of us has the opportunity to exercise that right freely and efficiently.

This week we wanted to let folks know how to locate their voting location, then, discuss what they can expect once they arrive. But first, why is it so important to vote at the correct location? There are 35 precincts and 18 voting locations across our county. Depending on the election cycle, each or any combination of precincts can offer different candidates and issues. Voter decisions on fire levies, school levies, township trustees, town council members, mayors, school board members, and similar races are specific to a voter’s resident address within a precinct. With dozens and dozens of different printed ballot styles managed on Election Day, the only way to ensure voters have a voice on issues and candidates specific to them is to ensure they vote in the correct polling location and precinct.

Determining a voter’s correct polling location is easy. During office hours, a voter may phone the Shelby County Board of Elections office at 937-498-7207 for guidance. With just a few facts, staff members can determine and report a voter’s correct voting location. The Shelby County Board of Elections website http://co.shelby.oh.us/board-of-elections is available around the clock and can also provide a voter’s registration status and polling location as well. Once on the site, a voter can click on ‘Voter Registration’ and follow the prompts.

When voters arrive at the correct polling location and precinct on Election Day they will be greeted by precinct election officials and asked to identify themselves. Ohio law requires that every voter announce his or her full name and current address plus provide proof of identity. In Ohio, proof of identity includes an unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state identification card with a present or former address; a military identification; an unexpired photo identification issued by the United States government or the State of Ohio which contains the voter’s name and current address; or an original or copy of a current utility bill, current bank statement, government check or other government document that shows the voter’s name and present address.

Once identity is established the voter will be asked to sign their name and the correct ballot will be issued. Voters privately darken the oval beside the candidate or issue of their choice then proceed to the scanner and follow the instructions of the precinct election official. Tada! That’s all there is to it.

So, what happens if voter identity, eligibility, or correct voting location cannot be established on the spot? No worries. In Ohio everyone gets the opportunity to cast a ballot. However, that ballot will be segregated into a sealed envelope and identified as ‘provisional.’ The designation means the ballot will be counted ‘providing’ the eligibility of the voter can be established prior to election certification. Election certification must occur on or before the 21st day after Election Day. If the provisional ballot is determined eligible to be counted by the Board of Elections, the sealed envelope will be opened during the certification process in open public session and the ballot inside will be scanned and added to the Election Day totals. If determined ineligible, the provisional envelope, along with the ballot, will remain sealed and never opened, scanned or counted in any way. The identity of the ineligible voter is never made public.

Finally, voters visiting their polling location on Election Day may notice individuals serving as observers. In Ohio, any political party supporting candidates to be voted upon at an election or any group of five or more candidates may appoint to the Board of Elections one qualified person to serve as an observer during the casting and counting of ballots. Only individuals certified in advance of Election Day by the Board of Elections are authorized to enter polling places or the Board office. Members of the press may generally circulate at will.

I’ll wrap up this week with some quick voter Q and A’s.

Q1 – On election evening, when will I know the Shelby County results? A1 – The polls close at 7:30 p.m. Ballots and scanner data cards are then hand delivered from each polling location. Results generally start becoming available near 8:15 p.m. Our ‘goal’ is to have all precincts reported out in hard copy by 9:45 p.m. and posted to the website by 10:00 p.m.

Q2 – What if I want to ‘write in’ a candidate who does not appear on my ballot? Q2 – In Ohio, candidates who were not timely added to the printed ballot can file to be an eligible ‘write in’ candidate. That ‘write in’ list is available at the Board of Elections office. By law, only votes for a ‘listed write in candidate’ can be counted.

Q3 – What happens if I make a mistake on my ballot? Q3 – A voter who makes an error prior to sending their ballot through the scanner may return to their precinct election official and receive a replacement ballot. The ballot marked in error is identified as ‘soiled’ and is accounted for, but never scanned or counted.

Next time the election will be behind us! We’ll chat then about the official results and the certification process.