All polls in Richland County opened Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. for the 2020 general election with early-morning lines at some locations, according to county elections director Paulette Hankins.
Polls remain open until 7:30 p.m. Click here to find your polling location. If you have voted absentee, click here to check the status of your ballot.
“(Workers) out in the field are telling us that some did have lines (when doors opened) — St. Peter’s Franciscan Center, Plymouth, Lexington and Bellville areas. No major issues so far,” Hankins said.
There were about 100 people waiting when doors opened for voting at Heartland Church, 2505 S. Lexington-Springmill Road, according to Hankins.
She said there were a few printer problems on the voting machines, which Hankins said is normal after transport from the board of elections offices to the polling sites.
Two poll workers were ill today, Hankins said, including one who called her Tuesday at 4 a.m. and one who had to go to the hospital on Monday night.
“We were able to get a replacement worker to go where the worker was ill this morning, and the vote center where the person had to go to the ER had extra workers already assigned,” Hankins said.
“Thank goodness we had so many new extra workers so that we could assign extras,” she said.
Despite voting issues expected around the country today, Hankins hopes for a peaceful day Richland County.
“We’re hoping and praying that we have a smooth election here in Richland County. Our poll workers, rovers and staff have dedicated an exceptional amount of training and preparation hours to make this election run efficiently,” Hankins said.
For those headed the polls on Tuesday:
— You must show ID to vote in Ohio. Acceptable forms include: an unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID card; a military ID; a photo ID issued by the US government or the State of Ohio, that contains your name and current address and that has an expiration date that has not passed; or a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows your name and current address.
— Voters without ID: If you do not have any of the above forms of identification you may provide either your Ohio driver’s license or state identification number (which begins with two letters followed by six numbers) or the last four digits of your Social Security number and cast a provisional ballot. Once the information is reviewed and verified by the board of elections, your ballot will be counted.
— If you do not provide one of the above documents or your driver’s license/state identification number or the last four digits of your Social Security number at the precinct, you will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot. However, in order for that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than seven days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification.
