OHIOANS: you CAN ask for a paper ballot!

[Maeve]

A reminder that for Presidential elections, Ohioans do have the option of voting a paper ballot instead of machine. It goes in a special envelope marking it as a REGULAR ballot, so it will be counted election night, not later when they are verifying the provisional ballots.

[PuppyBismark]

1. Yes you can!

I just finished election judge training in Ohio and I can confirm anyone can ask for a paper ballot. Per instructions from our Rethug SOS, we are only to announce the availability of paper ballots on the half hour if more than 25 people are waiting to vote and instructed not to offer it when voters sign the poll book.

[Erose999]

2. A paper ballot exists in the material realm. Your vote on a machine is just 1's and 0's that can be

disposed of or manipulated without creating material evidence.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. As I said in your other thread on this...

you have no guarantee your paper ballot will be counted.

If they will steal your vote by machine, they will steal it by destroying or invalidating your paper ballot.

[Maeve]

6. In other words, you NEVER can be sure your vote will be counted--I disagree

Overall, the people I have worked with in the election process are honorable and trying their level best to make sure it's a fair election for everyone. Yes, there have been pockets of cheating. That is why both major parties are represented at the polls, why voter questions are to be handled by two workers (both parties) and why the person who rides along to drop off the ballots is to be of a different party than the driver.

The paper option is offered for those who prefer it. Me, I voted early on machine.

[Doremus]

4. Are these different paper ballots than the ones we use now?

The paper ballots we use now we mark with pencil. When finished we insert them into the scanner. The machine adds the votes to the tallies and holds the ballots inside for storage.

Are there different paper ballots that don't go into the scanner?

[Maeve]

5. This is if you are in a touch screen precinct

Franklin County (Columbus) is all touch screen, for instance. The paper ballot is read at the BOE, not scanned at the polling place.