OTTAWA COUNTY, Ohio — A month out from the general election, the Ottawa County Board of Elections says it's ensuring voting equipment is fine-tuned as the nation prepares to elect a president.
"Every county tests every piece of equipment before it goes out to the polling location on election day," the board's director, Carol Hill.
WTOL 11 visited the board on Monday to see exactly what an Ottawa County voter would experience when casting a ballot.
Hill said if you want to go old school, you can fill out a paper ballot, which is then placed in the machine, tabulated and submitted.
The county also offers an express voting system, which is a digital option.
You take a blank ballot, insert it into the machine and make your selections on-screen. Once you're done, the ballot is printed and you can review your answers. Then, you place your finished ballot in the same machine, where it is counted.
"We do tremendous testing to make sure it's accurate just like the other counties in the state," Hill said.
Before the election, the board also invites the public to test the equipment.
Ohio requires boards of elections test equipment, but it also helps people familiarize themselves with the process before Election Day.
Turnout wasn't what Hill had hoped for, though.
"We did not have as much response as we would love to have. We would love to have a bit more of a response from the community to see that we're doing it right," she said. "We do have our express votes, which is an ADA component. However, in Ottawa County, about 60% of our voters choose to use them. Then we have our DS200 that actually scans and tabulates the ballot when the voters complete their selection."
Hill also wants voters at ease with not only the voting process, but participating in an election in general
"To be comfortable that their vote is being tabulated correctly and honestly and that every registered voter in the county has to the right to one ballot," Hill said.
She said she hopes voters know that their safety is a priority.
"All the poll workers are trained that it's part of their duty on Election Day to be sure that voters are not in any way impeded, harassed, talked to in that neutral zone," Hill said. "Polling locations and actually within 100 feet from the entrance of the location is a neutral zone. Voters may not be intimidated or impeded as they are casting their ballot in that particular zone."