Ohio - Tab? What's the deal with the tabs?

[Algorem]

(I haven't voted yet,is a tab the new chad or what?)


How was it for you?

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/03/how_was_it_for_you.html

Posted by PD Staff March 04, 2008 06:30AM
Categories: At the polls

How was your trip to the polls today? Were there long lines? Did the poll workers seem to know what they were doing? Did they have enough paper ballots? Tell us about your experience by commenting below.

COMMENTS (40)Post a comment

...

I voted in Euclid, and after i got done, and returned my ballot, the election judge tore off a tab. I pointed out that the tab said, in big bold letters

"Do NOT Remove this tab. You vote will NOT be counted if this tab is removed"

I asked the lady to read that back to me, then asked why, and all she could say was "yeah, we're confused too"

So I suppose now I'll spen the rest of the day on hold with the boad of elections trying to find out how messed up my ballot is...




http://www.ohioverticals.com/blogs/political_news/2008/03/04/stories-from-the-polls/



Stories from the polls

Tell us your stories about today's trip to the polls. What time did you go, where was it located and how long were the lines? Ahr problems with the voting machines? Did the poll workers do a good job?

We have already read stories today about the confusion surrounding the tear-off tabs at the bottom on the ballot.

Leave your poll story below...

[geiger]

1. Oh, crap. Why can't these people ever get the right training. It never changes.

[napi21]

2. WHO in the hell thinks up this periferal crap that only to be an invitation

to screw up ballots?

First problem I heard in the 08 primaries was in Calif. where there was a box you had to check stating you were a Democrat or a Republican, and it confused the Indie's & the crossover voters.

NOW there's a "TAB" on the ballot???? WHY?

For GOD SAKE, what the hell iis wrong with a damn white piece of paper with plain black print that lists the Office, the names of the candidates & a check box next to each one?

[Algorem]

3. saw on local news channel 19 WOIO that problem is resolved

BOE decided to just tear the "stubs" off at the warehouse where they're going to count the votes tonight.

[Algorem]

4. Gas Leak At Polling Location

http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=7962594

Cleveland, OH - A local polling location has reported a gas leak at 61st and Fleet. The presiding judge is about to close the building.

The poll workers are becoming dizzy and feel ill.

Apparently, the building has had this problem in the past and was incorrectly fixed. (?)

[Algorem]

5. Questions mounting about ballot stubs

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/03/questions_mounting_about_ballo.html

Posted by Michael Scott and Donna J. Miller March 04, 2008 10:08AM
Categories: At the polls

A growing number of Cuyahoga County voters this morning are saying they are having problems with pollworkers telling them to remove a tab on their ballot that specifically says "Do not remove."

Cuyahoga Elections Board Director Jane Platten is expected to address media at 11:30 to answer questions about the matter, but an elections official said earlier this morning "tab on, tab off, it doesn't matter. Every vote will count."

The elections official said unofficially that the message on the ballot was only to tell voters not to remove the tab -- which has the same number as the ballot itself -- until they place their paper ballot in a sealed box. He said every polling site was called this morning and poll workers were instructed to count every vote, regardless of whether the tab was removed.

Dozens of voters commenting on Cleveland.com blogs have also debated whether the tab should be removed...

[geiger]

7. just saw this myself and I am sitting here shaking my head.

[Algorem]

6. toledo blade election updates

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080304/NEWS09/924399207/-1/NEWS
Election updates


Send your comments, news tips, photos (JPEGs), or videos to toledoblade.com at [e-mail].
BLADE STAFF

POSTED 12:25 P.M.
A handful of Sylvania Township residents who cast ballots at First Christian Church continued to be steamed about an early morning polling station glitch that didn’t allow them to vote on issues.

The residents voted on the candidate ballots but weren’t given the option to vote on issues, including a levy request in the township for fire services. Since the candidate ballots had already been recorded, when the voters asked if they could vote on the issues, they were told voting twice is a felony.

Mr. Stan Massey, a marketing and public relations executive, wrote in an e-mail sent to The Blade, "Fact is, we weren’t allowed to vote at all on the issues. THAT should be the felony." The problem has been corrected, officials at the Lucas County Board of Elections said.

A check with the boards of elections in Wood and Seneca counties found there were no reports of technological glitches, but turnout has been heavy as expected...

[Melissa G]

8. From the daily ER news thread

Paper Ballot Confusion in Northern Ohio

03/04/2008 12:54:19


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The switch to paper ballots seems to be going smoothly in Cuyahoga County.
Ohio's most populated county is voting on paper rather than with touch-screen machines today.

But there is some confusion. That has to do with paper stubs attached to ballots. The Board of Elections in Cleveland has sent word out to polling places that voters should not remove those stubs. Apparently some have been doing so. The stubs will allow the election workers to match the number of votes cast with ballots scanned.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (BROO'-nur) wants 53 other Ohio counties that use electronic voting machines to switch to paper. For the primary she only required them to make paper ballots available to voters who ask for them.

http://1290whio.com/includes/news/indepth/5279860_Paper_Ballot_Confusion_in_Northern_Ohio_125420.html

[1776Forever]

9. Update - Cuyahoga Co going to have News Conference at 11:30 am - updates at link soon

Questions mounting about ballot stubs
Posted by Michael Scott and Donna J. Miller March 04, 2008 10:08AM
Categories: At the polls

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/03/questions_mounting_about_ballo.html

A growing number of Cuyahoga County voters this morning are saying they are having problems with pollworkers telling them to remove a tab on their ballot that specifically says "Do not remove."

Cuyahoga Elections Board Director Jane Platten is expected to address media at 11:30 to answer questions about the matter, but an elections official said earlier this morning "tab on, tab off, it doesn't matter. Every vote will count."

The elections official said unofficially that the message on the ballot was only to tell voters not to remove the tab -- which has the same number as the ballot itself -- until they place their paper ballot in a sealed box. He said every polling site was called this morning and poll workers were instructed to count every vote, regardless of whether the tab was removed.

Dozens of voters commenting on Cleveland.com blogs have also debated whether the tab should be removed.

Some voters also have said that as they were waiting in line to place their ballots in a secure box, they have sometimes folded them in half to keep their vote secret, but pollworkers told them not to so their ballot is uncreased when it is counted.

Marianne Karwowski Hoppel, of Broadview Heights, said "a secret ballot was unavailable to me for my votes in this primary election. The ballot did not have an envelope or cover to keep my votes secret. Anyone could have seen my choices while I walked from the voting booth to the voting box."

Check back at this site soon for updates from the Board of Elections news conference.

[Melissa G]

10. Update- Votes without tab will count!

Voting going well, elections director says
Posted by John Caniglia March 04, 2008 12:18PM
Cuyahoga County elections director Jane Platten promised that every vote would count and said the start of the primary has been "exceptionally good.''


Every polling place opened on time. "That's a huge benchmark for us,'' Platten said.

Platten said a tab on ballots that's used for accounting purposes became a minor issue. She said some of the tabs were removed by accident. Voters who lost the tabs should not worry. Their votes will count.

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/03/voting_going_well_elections_di.html