Questions about provisional ballots in Ohio [View All]

[Eric J in MN]

Regarding the article below by Bob Fitrakis, I have three questions.

If you can only answer one question, that is fine.

Thanks in advance.

1. Were people asked for their birthdates when they cast provisional ballots?

2. Are the ballots being thrown out when they don't have a birthdate, or just set aside?

3. Are some provisional ballots in "yellow packets" and not others?

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http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2004/985

And so the sorting and discarding of Kerry votes begins
November 10, 2004

Are the provisional ballots in Ohio being thrown out? A new rule for counting provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County, Ohio was implemented on Tuesday, November 9 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, according to election observer Victoria Lovegren.

The new ruling in Cuyahoga County mandates that provisional ballots in yellow packets must be “Rejected” if there is no “date of birth” on the packet. The Free Press obtained copies of the original “Provisional Verification Procedure” from Cuyahoga County which stated “Date of birth is not mandatory and should not reject a provisional ballot.” The original procedure required the voter’s name, address and a signature that matched the signature in the county’s database.
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