By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Within a matter of hours Monday, the primary election switched from on to off multiple times. It was 10:26 p.m., when the Wood County Board of Elections heard the final verdict.
“Last night was the longest night of my life here,” Terry Burton, of the Wood County Board of Elections, said Tuesday morning.
So instead of watching the votes come in at the end of today, the elections office was seeing the voting supplies coming back unused this morning.
“Poll workers are bringing back supplies today,” Burton said.
“We’re trying to go through the directive to plan for where we go from here,” he said.
The office is getting some calls from voters. Overall, the general public has been understanding.
“Everybody is taking a deep breath now,” Burton said.
The primary election has been rescheduled for June 2.
“We have plenty of time to address that,” he said.
But on Monday, there was little time to take a breath.
During the now daily press conferences at 3 p.m. on the coronavirus, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the state was recommending the primary election be delayed.
At 6 p.m., Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said a judicial order was expected to postpone the election.
So Wood County Board of Elections notified the 308 local poll workers that they would not be needed on Tuesday.
But shortly before 7 p.m., news came out that a judge had denied the request to delay.
At 9:15 p.m., the court ruling still stood – keeping the election on as planned.
So poll workers were contacted again – this time telling them they needed to be at the polls Tuesday at 5:30 a.m.
But less than 15 minutes later, DeWine announced the Ohio Department of Health would be ordering the election delayed due to public health concerns.
“And this was going to stick,” Burton said they were told.
Then at 10:26 p.m., the board got its official orders to cancel Tuesday’s election. Poll workers were notified and a notice was posted on the board’s website.
“I feel very badly for them,” he said of the poll workers. “It was a frustrating night for them.”
Burton expressed appreciation for his staff, as well as for the people who signed up to take the place of several older poll workers who called in during the last few days to say they wouldn’t be working the polls.
“It was at a rate that was not normal,” Burton said. “We’re very, very grateful for people who did step up yesterday to work the polls.”
In between now and June 2, voters can do absentee voting by mail.
“I expect that a lot of people will be asking to get a ballot by mail,” Burton said.
