LaRose encourages every eligible Ohioan to make sure their vote counts
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Thursday that boards of elections remain open during designated hours through Saturday to assist voters with reconciling provisional ballots cast in Tuesday’s election.
By law, boards must confirm the eligibility of any voter who cast a provisional ballot, as well as the validity of the ballot itself. Voters who submitted a provisional ballot and provided acceptable proof of identity at the polls typically don’t need to provide additional identification to the board of elections, but provisional voters often need to provide proof of residency or citizenship, or that a previously requested absentee ballot wasn’t already returned.
“Every legal vote matters, and there’s still time for Ohioans who voted a provisional ballot to confirm their information and make sure their vote is included in the certified official results,” said LaRose. “Based on my team’s assessment, there's several contests, including a high-profile congressional race in northwest Ohio, where the result could potentially change based on the number of outstanding absentee and provisional ballots not included in the unofficial results on Election Night.”
Election Night results showed 137,879 outstanding provisional ballots statewide.
As Ohio’s chief election officer, Secretary LaRose is committed to ensuring every impacted Ohioan understands the process, so they can ensure their vote is counted. Ohioans who cast a provisional ballot were notified that they would be required to return to the county board of elections no later than Saturday, Nov. 9. This often includes voters who failed to present a valid photo ID.
Earlier this year, Secretary LaRose directed all 88 county boards of elections to remain open to the public for the purpose of curing provisional ballots during the following times:
• Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Questions about the post-election provisional ballot process should be directed to a voter’s county board of elections. In the event the final certified canvas shows a result that is closer than a .5 percent margin, an automatic recount will be triggered. For more information on provisional voting in Ohio, visit https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/provisional-voting/.
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