Nov. 15—JEFFERSON — The Ashtabula County Board of Elections accepted 659 of 894 provisional ballots during a meeting Thursday morning.
Board of Elections Director Charlie Frye said the Ohio secretary of state wants the results certified by Nov. 20.
Frye said there will be a total of 43,884 county votes in the general election.
The official election results will be announced at the next board meeting on November 19 at 9:00 am.
Frye said the counted ballots could affect four tax outcomes, namely:
– Number 9: A fire replacement of five factories in Ashtabula Township and an increase levy, which would raise $876,000 annually.
– Issue 24: A replacement levy on 2.36 million Williamsfield roads and bridges, which would raise $86,000 annually.
– Issue 26: A 2.5 mill Ashtabula Area City School District renewal levy, which will generate $974,000 annually.
– Issue 32: A one-mill Jefferson Joint Cemetery District replacement levy, which would generate $138,000 annually.
Frye said number 24 is being told.
If preliminary votes bring the results closer, the other issues will be told.
The board rejected 235 provisional ballots.
There were 168 voters unregistered in Ohio.
Frye said these were people who were confused by each state’s voting requirements.
“They move. They don’t update, and then they appear [here]” he said.
Forty voters failed to identify themselves and twelve people voted in the wrong constituency.
Eight voters did not provide their current address. Three voters failed to sign their envelopes.
Two voters had already submitted their ballots.
Frye said these were voters who sent absentee ballots, which arrived after they had voted provisionally.
“The procedure is: as [both] “As ballots come in, we count the mail-in ballots and then we reject the provisional ballot,” he said.
One ballot contained an invalid religious objection to having a photo ID.
Frye said the person objected even though he had an expired photo ID.
Another rejected ballot came from someone in the Lake County Jail.
Frye said incarcerated people without crimes can request ballots.
“The ballot was handed to that person, and then he decided not to vote,” he said.
Provisional ballots are intended for voters whose eligibility is in doubt and who cannot vote at their polling place.
Ballots are unopened until approved by the board.
After provisional ballots are counted, the Board of Elections can certify the official results for the county’s general election.
The board approved a total of $82,203.38 in bills from Nov. 6 to 12.
Of these accounts, $63,465.75 paid for poll watchers’ wages for work during the general election.
Frye said 39 absentee ballots arrived after the election but were properly postmarked.
‘One has arrived [Thursday] postmarked October 21,” he said.
These votes were not provisional.
When Ashtabula County League of Women Voters participant and President Mary Howe said postal service has been terrible lately, Frye agreed.
“We had a vote in the spring that took place three months after the election,” he said.
