In Ohio, poll workers are supposed to fill out a checklist when a voter is voting provisionally. HB 13 updates this checklist so a poll worker must check off whether he or she has told a voter in the wrong precinct where the correct voting precinct is. If the poll worker fails to do that on the checklist, the board of elections will remake and count the provisional ballot. It also expands the authority of the board of elections to correct a voter registration when connected to a counted provisional ballot.
Jurisdiction/Legislation Level
State
LCS Legislation Status
http://lsc.state.oh.us/coderev/hou130.nsf/House+Bill+Number/0013?OpenDoc...
Our Take on This Bill
Ohio voters should be able to have confidence in the integrity of the electoral process, and ensuring that voters have every opportunity to have their ballot successfully cast is vital to that end. HB 13 strengthens safeguards against eligible votes not being counted by enhancing efforts to make sure voters are informed of precinct polling location problems before casting a ballot and broadening board of elections’ ability to remake and count ballots cast in the wrong precinct when poll worker error is evident. Further, by expanding boards of elections’ power to correct voter registrations connected to counted provisional ballots, future registration problems can be averted.
Committees
Policy and Legislative Oversight (H)
