Voting rights advocates in Ohio say they’re seeing a high number of provisional ballots being used—something that could boost the chances of a drawn out fight over the count in the election’s most pivotal state.
“We’re hearing this from multiple precincts, multiple suburbs,” Chris Link of the ACLU of Ohio told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “It’s not just one.”
Link added that provisional ballot use seemed to be especially high in the Democratic stronghold of Cuyahoga County.
The paper reports that poll workers are said to be relying “frequently” on provisional ballots when a voter’s ID or voting record is in question. Ohio requires voters to show ID, though not photo ID.
Provisional ballots won’t be counted until November 17, state election officials have said. Voters are usually required to verify their identity in order for the ballot to count. In 2008, there were over 200,000 such ballots, and election observers are expecting more this time.
Zachary Roth