Wayne County wraps up another election cycle
A line of vehicles wait outside the Wayne County Board of Elections office after the polls closed on May 2 to drop off ballots. Each car contained a bipartisan team of volunteers to ensure the ballots arrived safely.
Another election in Wayne County has come and gone. The board of elections staff will soon finalize the results and start an internal audit of ballots cast in the May 2 primary.
A fair and accurate election is the foundation of any democratic society, and the people’s faith in the electoral process is crucial for the stability of a nation. Voters should be confident their voices are heard and counted.
“Our policies and daily procedures include redundant layers of extensive planning, proofing, checking and auditing to ensure the integrity of every ballot cast in Wayne County,” BOE Director Julie Stahl said.
Public officials are held to a high standard of integrity and honesty to serve the public effectively. In 2022 Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose established a public integrity division within the secretary of state’s office that investigates complaints of election fraud, ethics violations and other matters.
One of the ways Wayne County residents can be confident the results are accurate is by knowing there are two sets of bipartisan eyes on that ballot from the time it is cast until it is counted.
While election night is chaotic, BOE employees take measures to ensure strict election rules are followed.
“On election night transparency and bipartisan oversight are part of every process. Our board is present in an open public meeting during the entire canvass,” Deputy Director Bryon Bell said. “The ballots and voting machines are transported back to the board of elections by poll workers in bipartisan teams. Ballots, results and equipment are under the eyes of at least two people — one from each political party — at all times from before the polls open until the last vote is counted.”
The Wayne County Board of Elections is responsible for ensuring every vote is counted and the election process is secure and transparent. The board consists of bipartisan teams composed of members of both the Republican and Democratic parties. This ensures both parties are equally represented and the election process is fair.
Voter registration and verification are crucial components of a secure election.
The board maintains a database of registered voters that is constantly updated with new information including address changes and deaths. This ensures the voter rolls are as accurate as possible and that only eligible voters can cast their ballots. The board also uses various methods to verify the identity of voters including signature matching and the use of provisional ballots that are later verified.
“While this election brought several changes to election law including tightened ID requirements and changes in absentee voting deadlines, our poll workers and voters overwhelmingly navigated these new rules with great success,” Bell said.
With the post-election audit underway, the team at the BOE is already looking ahead to November.
“We have already begun the preparation for the general election in November,” Stahl said. “There are approximately 125 local offices on the ballot across the county. That’s a lot of petition signatures to be verified.”
For more about election integrity in Ohio, visit www.ohiosos.gov/publicintegrity.
Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for the Wayne County government.