Electronic voter logs are down in Franklin County on Election Day, according to a poll worker. Voters will have to check-in using back-up paper poll books.
The paper voter log books, which are required as a contingency plan, will be used throughout the day. The issue appeared to cause delays when polls opened on Tuesday morning.
Franklin County Board of Elections spokesman Aaron Sellers says they ran into problems while trying to download the latest voter information to electronic poll books.
"Because of the size, there was an issue," Sellers said. "It was decided early this morning, because we couldn’t guarantee that the file was 100% downloaded, that we were going to go with paper poll books."
The Ohio Secretary of State's office tweeted on Tuesday morning that the shift from electronic to paper logs does not impact voting machines or allow someone to vote twice.
Secretary LaRose directed every board of elections to have paper pollbooks as a contingency plan to ensure the integrity of the system and so no voter may vote twice. It will not impact the security or accuracy of today’s vote. 2/3
— Ohio Secretary of State Comms Team (@SecLaRoseComms) November 3, 2020
Secretary LaRose directed every board of elections to have paper pollbooks as a contingency plan to ensure the integrity of the system and so no voter may vote twice. It will not impact the security or accuracy of today’s vote. 2/3
— Ohio Secretary of State Comms Team (@SecLaRoseComms) November 3, 2020Paper pollbooks are required in every county. See our directive 2020-11, issued in July. https://t.co/zVtvlJ8rDk pic.twitter.com/3dsSpUZtzV
— Ohio Secretary of State Comms Team (@SecLaRoseComms) November 3, 2020
Voters were delayed in casting ballots at Maranatha Baptist Church on Trabue Road on Columbus' West Side, after someone misplaced the key with the voting materials. A worker from the Board of Elections had to come unlock the materials.
Poll workers confirmed that lines are backed up at this church because someone misplaced a key to access the voting materials. Someone from @FranklinCoBOE came and unlocked the materials. Voters were about to start voting at around 7:20 a.m. pic.twitter.com/sYZGxx2vhV
— Adora Namigadde (@adorakn) November 3, 2020
This is a developing story and will be updated.
