Technical Issues At Ohio Polling Stations Caused Some Major Set Backs

In the early hours of Election Day Ohio’s most populous county, Franklin, experienced some technical issues with their check-in system and had to revert back to paper poll books resulting in long longs and even longer wait times.

Election officials and poll workers began using the old fashioned method to check in voters after learning that the electronic system had not been fully updated with new data.

A spokesperson for Secretary of State Frank LaRose wrote on Twitter, “It’s important to note that this does NOT impact voting machines in any way, and only modifies how voters are checked in.”

LaRose stated that the Franklin County Board of Elections was unable to upload all early in-person voting data into the electronic check-in system by Tuesday morning, but assured that poll workers are properly trained to use paper poll books as a backup method at every polling site.

“Secretary LaRose directed every board of elections to have paper poll books as a contingency plan to ensure the integrity of the system and so no voter may vote twice. It will not impact the security or accuracy of today’s vote,” said the spokesperson.

Besides this technical issue, voters will also have to deal with health regulations and logistical concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2016, President Trump flipped the crucial swing state of Ohio from blue to red and snatched the victory after then President Barack Obama barley held onto the state in 2008 and 2012.

This year both candidates are hoping to secure Ohio’s 18 electoral votes that will pave the way to the White House.