The Franklin County Board of Elections confirmed on Oct. 6 that “a significant number” of requested absentee ballots have been mailed to the wrong voters, as early voting began in Ohio state.
Elections Director Ed Leonard said that the Franklin County Board learned of the issues Tuesday, adding that the error was a result of a disabled setting in some of the board’s software.
Some voters received the wrong ballots in their envelopes, with some Worthington voters receiving absentee ballots meant for Whitehall voters, for example, Leonard said.
The Epoch Times has contacted the Franklin County Board of Elections for comment.
Out of Franklin County’s more than 880,000 registered voters, more than 237,000 people request absentee ballots.
Officials are hoping Ohioans will take advantage of early voting opportunities between now and the Nov. 3 election day. Besides weekday voting, early voting will be available the last two weekends before the election. Officials also urge those voting by mail not to wait until the final days, risking their vote arriving on time to get counted if the postal service is running slowly.
Leonard said that individuals who believe they were mailed an incorrect absentee ballot can cast an in-person absentee ballot at the board of elections at 1700 Morse Road during the early voting hours before Nov. 3.
“When we became aware of the issue, we immediately notified the Franklin County Board of Elections and they began work to mitigate the issue with impacted voters.”