What do state leaders say about Ohio’s election system?

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Ohio’s statewide elected leaders say they’re confident Ohio’s election system can guard against voter fraud, suppression and intimidation and that the state will be able to determine the winner of the popular vote by mid-December when the Electoral College ballots are cast.

Gov. Mike DeWine: “I’m pretty confident that we can do this in Ohio....We’ve been able to do this consistently in Ohio. We’ve seen a lot of people vote absentee (and early in-person.) A lot of people will have voted already by Election Day. My guess is it will not be as crowded on Election Day. ... I’m not concerned about it. We have Democrats and Republicans from a precinct level to the counties that are doing a good job.”

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted: “When I was Secretary of State, we did a comprehensive review of voter suppression and voter fraud. We found no evidence of voter suppression and while voter fraud did occur, it was very rare and in almost every case, the attempt at voter fraud failed — illegal votes were cast but not counted. As far as confidence in the election system, I am absolutely confident that Ohio will do this right. We have a system of elections that is run locally with bipartisan checks and balances. We will have a fair election and I’m confident Ohio’s electoral votes will be cast on time.”

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Secretary of State Frank LaRose: “Ohio’s elections system is second to none. Because of the processes and laws in place, voter fraud and suppression are exceedingly rare and intimidation will never be tolerated...Ohioans must remember that the results will change between the election night unofficial tally and the final official results released about three weeks later. This allows for provisional ballots to be adjudicated and ballots mailed before Nov. 3 to arrive at their county board of elections and be counted. That’s not any different than any other election and not a sign of something nefarious happening. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. It means every properly cast ballot is being counted. We will never sacrifice accuracy for speed. It’s a process that has worked in Ohio for decades, and one that will ensure we’ll know the winner of Ohio’s electoral votes before December.”

Attorney General Dave Yost: “Confident about all of it. Ohio has a safe, secure system. The wild card is litigation because there is no end to the mischief that can be conceived in the hearts of clever lawyers.”

Auditor Keith Faber: “I am very confident that Ohio’s upcoming election will be conducted in a safe and legal manner, thanks to the appropriate safeguards that are in place to ensure all Ohioans have the opportunity to vote. Our local elections officials, under the guidance of our secretary of state, have been preparing for this election for two years. Our local boards of election have a track record of counting votes and delivering results in an efficient manner and I’m confident they will do that again next month."

Treasurer Robert Sprague: “Fortunately, here in Ohio, there is ample time for residents to make their voices heard by voting on Election Day or early either in-person or by-mail. Additionally, the fact that our 88 county boards of elections are operated and overseen in a bipartisan manner helps to ensure everyone’s vote counts....As always, it is important that every eligible elector exercises their right to vote in the upcoming election. Ohio is also fortunate to have dedicated elections staff with decades of experience in both our county boards of elections and the secretary of state’s office."

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

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