By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Local election officials were asked Wednesday to address the “elephant in the room” on election security.
Do they have concerns that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots will hold steady for the Nov. 3 election?
The question was met with side-eyed glances between the Wood County Board of Elections directors Julie Baumgardner and Terry Burton. This was a question they had discussed in their office.
“This is a very turbulent time,” said Burton, a Republican, who is typically very cautious in his responses to questions that could be political. “The courts can do anything.”
But both Baumgardner and Burton believe there just isn’t time left to flip mail-in ballot rules – for now.
“For this election, we are out of time for changing the rules,” Burton said.
The election officials spoke at a meeting on election security hosted by the League of Women Voters of Bowling Green, at the Wood County Senior Center.
But the damage has been done for some voters, whose trust in the voting system has been eroded, Burton added. The Wood County Board of Elections staff has been fielding calls from older voters worried about whether or not their mail-in ballots will count.
“Voter fear of what could happen is really the saddest part,” Burton said. “I think that’s a shame – but it’s the world we live in.”
Baumgardner, a Democrat, assured that local election workers are working diligently to make sure every citizens’ vote is tallied.
“We live with you. We work with you. We know you. We will do everything to make sure your vote counts,” Baumgardner said.
“We realize every vote matters,” Burton said.
If there is conflicting information on voter rolls, the board of elections won’t just drop residents from the rolls. Several attempts are made to reach voters by mail to clear up questions.
“We do everything in our power to make sure you can vote,” Baumgardner said.
There were other elephants in the room that were addressed Wednesday evening.
“What happens if ICE shows up at your door” and demands access to ballots, one audience member asked.
Ohio election law does not allow anyone outside the board of elections to touch the ballots, Baumgardner said. Law requires that ballots must be kept under lock for 22 months after an election, she said.
But an audience member pointed out that these are no longer normal times.
“We’re aware of that,” and the Board of Elections would seek counsel from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office, Baumgardner said.
What if voters waiting in line to vote are intimidated by political forces, another citizen asked. Ohio has ruled that attempts to influence voters are not allowed within 100 feet of polling locations. If pollworkers hear that is occurring, they are instructed to contact the local board of elections and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office to respond.
Despite claims that voter fraud is rampant in the U.S., Burton disagreed.
“I do believe fraud is extremely rare,” he said. “Election officials across this country in every state care about what we do. We believe in the democracy of it.”
Baumgardner and Burton discussed the security measures in place for every election.
It begins with the elections office and the volunteer pollworkers having equal representation between Democrats and Republicans.
“That is security,” Burton said. “In a sense, everybody is watching each other.”
Physical security measures include double locking systems, a secure server room, locking of all 543 voting machines and all ballots.
Cyber security includes provisions that none of the voting tabulation is hooked up to the internet, Baumgardner said. The voter registration system is separate from the rest of the county government’s technology.
Programming and proofing of the ballots is all done in-house. “We create our own ballots,” she said.
Every voting machine that goes out on election day must be tested by bipartisan teams in the board of elections office. Poll pads and ballots must also be tested. All the voting machines have paper trails that are counted by hand after the election, Baumgardner said.
The office registers voters, maintains those records, issues absentee ballots when requested, and handles early voting.
The last layer of election security is up to the voters, Burton said.
“You are the last line of your own election security,” he said.
Voters are able to verify their registration. They should update their information after they move or change their names. And they should respond to mail from the Board of Elections, to clear up any questions about registrations.
Citizens may cast their votes through absentee ballots, early voting, or at the polls on election day.
When voting absentee, “the earlier the better” for submitting an application. There is no longer a “grace period” for mailed ballots that are postmarked before election day.
Early voting will be offered in the Wood County Courthouse atrium during the four weeks prior to election day. And polls will be open on election day, Nov. 3, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
