DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The director of Montgomery County’s Board of Elections said they were prepared for high voter turnout, and that 2020 marked a shift in how Ohioans choose to vote.
An election audit is the final step to wrap up what became a record-breaking general election.
“I think this showed during this terrible pandemic, this awful time in history of parties fighting. We did it,” Board of Elections Director Jan Kelly said.
Kelly said everything went smoothly on Nov. 3, from the casting of ballots to getting enough poll workers.
“We had all of our polls filled with precinct election officials, we didn’t have anyone call in saying they couldn’t show up,” Kelly said.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who visited Montgomery County Thursday, said half of the nearly six million ballots cast in Ohio were done so early or absentee.
“The fact that nearly 59 percent of the ballots were cast before the polls ever opened on Tuesday morning, was another great success,” LaRose said. “The fact that so many Ohioans participated in early and absentee voting, and i think it’s safe to say many of those folks did it for the first time.”
Kelly said she expects to see the early voting trend continue with future elections.
“So we have to shift with that choice for the voters, it’s not just voting at the precincts anymore,” Kelly said.
Kelly said one way boards of elections might address increased early voting turnout is by establishing more early voting centers.
