To say Ohio’s primary election didn’t go smoothly is a bit of an understatement.
The coronavirus pandemic forced last-minute changes on the state’s election system that stressed the state’s election apparatus, candidates and their campaigns, voters, and even the U.S. Postal Service.
No election is unimportant, but this November’s general election promises to be among the most consequential presidential elections, and it is crucial that Ohio be prepared for it to go well, regardless of the possibility that we will face more pandemic-related issues.
Early voting for the March 17 primary went as planned in Ohio with people voting in person. But as the threat of coronavirus contagion loomed, the state canceled in-person voting on election day and extended the opportunity to vote by mail through April 28.
To accomplish this, voters had to find an application for an absentee ballot, mail it to their county elections board, wait for a ballot to arrive, complete it, and mail it back, all by April 27.
Problems with the pandemic-hampered postal service meant that an unknown number of voters either did not get the ballots they requested or could not get them back to the elections board in time to be counted.
While everyone hopes the coronavirus crisis will have abated enough to allow a normal election in November, uncertainty abounds. It is possible, maybe even likely, that Ohio’s general election also will require some pandemic-related adjustments.
And unlike the March primary, Ohio has time to plan and train for a variety of contingencies that might be necessary in November.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose has proposed several sensible solutions that the General Assembly should consider, including allowing voters to request absentee ballots online.
Mr. LaRose’s office and the General Assembly also must make sure that the county elections boards have adequate training to manage in the case of several predictable scenarios, including the need for Ohio to use an all mail-in election.
And every election official should be prepared that, even if an election is set to go off as usual, many more voters than usual may opt to avoid in-person voting and request mail-in ballots, for their own sense of security.
The coronavirus has thrown a wrench into the way we conduct elections. There was not much of an opportunity to prepare for this in March, but there’s no excuse not to be prepared in November.
First Published May 9, 2020, 4:00 a.m.
