Montgomery County voters can expect the remaining provisional ballots to be counted soon. Election officials reported that they have already processed over 3,300 provisional ballots and are working to finish the remaining 1,100 by the end of this week.
Board action on damaged and incomplete ballots
During a Thursday meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Elections approved the remaking of dozens of ballots that were damaged, filled in with pencil, or used non‑black ink. Board member Eric Blaine moved to approve the remaking of the as‑remade damaged absentee ballot, and the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Director Jeff Rezabek explained, “There are certain categories that we can remake,” adding that the board carefully reviews each request to ensure the voter’s intent is preserved. “We want to make sure your ballot counts, so we’ll have to remake it,” he said.
Provisional ballot processing timeline
Board officials originally hoped to open and count more than 4,400 provisional ballots earlier, but additional time was needed to verify each submission. Rezabek noted, “We’re about 1,100 short at this point in the sense of processing them, and we’ll get those done in the rest of this week.”
Each provisional ballot will be checked to confirm the voter is registered in Montgomery County and has not voted elsewhere in the state. “We just confer with the other counties to make sure,” Rezabek said, describing a back‑and‑forth verification process that can take several days. Ohio law gives the board up to 28 days to certify final election results.
Upcoming vote count
The board scheduled a follow‑up meeting for November 18, when the processed provisional ballots will be opened and counted. The final tally could affect several close races, including the Statehouse contest for southern Montgomery County, where Democrat Tom Herner leads Republican Tom Young by fewer than 200 votes.
County Chair Rhine McLin led the November 18 meeting, stating, “All in favor, say aye. Aye,” after the motion to proceed with the count was moved and seconded.
What voters should know
Montgomery County residents who submitted provisional ballots should expect their votes to be included in the final count after the November 18 meeting. The board encourages voters to monitor local news outlets for the official results once the count is completed.
For additional information about provisional ballot procedures or to verify the status of a specific ballot, voters can contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections directly.
Original reporting: WHIO-TV Dayton (local) — read the source article.
