Judge Says Ohio Counties Can Scan Absentee Ballots Early

[OhioChick]

Early Scanning Requested Because Of Volume Of Absentee Ballots Expected

POSTED: 5:57 pm EST November 3, 2006
UPDATED: 6:21 pm EST November 3, 2006

CLEVELAND -- All 88 Ohio counties can start scanning absentee ballots before Election Day, a Cuyahoga County judge ordered Friday, overruling a state order that had banned early scanning.

The ruling by Common Pleas Judge Dan Gaul came after Cuyahoga County said it wanted to start scanning the ballots sooner than usual because of an expected crush due to a new law that allows anyone to vote absentee. The county, which includes Cleveland, is the state's most populous with more than 1 million registered voters.

Gaul's ruling states that elections boards in all counties can start scanning absentees at 7 a.m. Monday. Elections workers can scan the absentees into computers that will read oval marks on the paper ballots, but those votes cannot be counted before 7:31 p.m. Tuesday, after the polls have closed.

"We've got some problems in this country and in this county. We've also got some commonsense," Gaul said.
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/10238000/detail.html

[texpatriot2004]

1. Meaning they will be counted on or before Nov 7th, right? nm

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2. Electronically counted, but not tallied

Each ballot has to be hand fed into the scanner. Some ballots are several pages long. The tally cannot take place before 7:31. It makes a lot of sense to me.

[texpatriot2004]

3. So it's good news then nm

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4. It's a win over Blackwell

A very good thing.

[texpatriot2004]

5. WOO HOO! I love the sound of that! YES! It is a Very GOOD

thing. :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: