CINCINNATI — With just 40 days until Election Day, local officials are giving voters an inside look into how their votes are processed and counted once cast.
There are just under 600,000 registered voters in Hamilton County. Sheryl Poland, director of elections for the Hamilton County Board of Elections, said there were over 80,000 ballots turned in early during the 2020 presidential election.
"That was record-breaking," Poland said. "In fact, ever since we moved our Board of Elections from downtown to this location in Norwood ... early voting is becoming increasingly popular. It's convenient for the voters."
This is the first presidential election where Ohio's stricter voter ID laws will be enforced. And though election officials maintain it's still easy to vote in the state of Ohio, there are some new requirements.
When voting early or in person, you will need to show an Ohio driver's license or ID card, U.S. passport or military ID. Those IDs cannot be expired.
And if you're voting by mail, in addition to providing one of the forms of ID listed above, you can also provide the last four digits of your social security number.
Early voting at the Hamilton County Board of Education's office on Smith Road kicks off Oct. 8. To see a full list of dates and times, click here. To find the early voting dates and times for other counties, visit the Secretary of State's website.
Officials told WCPO that as voting starts and the ballot counting begins security is top of mind.
Poland said Hamilton County has spent nearly $100,000 on security upgrades, bolstering a ballot's chain of custody and voting machines.
"Because that equipment is not connected to the internet, it is a physical process," said Alexander Linser, deputy director of elections. "We have to receive all of the vote counting machines that were in the field back at the board of elections in order to count the votes on those machines. So, it does take the time it takes."
The deadline to register to vote in Ohio is Oct. 7. You can register in person, by mail or online via the Secretary of State's website.
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