Cuyahoga Elections Officials Preparing for Primary

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Topics: Politics
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With the primary election just days away, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is making final preparations for the changeover to paper ballots and a central count. ideastream's Dan Bobkoff reports.

Elections chief Jane Platten says she’s doing all she can to ensure a smooth election Tuesday, but she is not making any promises.

PLATTEN: I don’t use the word guarantee often in anything I do. And I can tell you, though, we have done everything that we think is possible in 68 days to execute a successful election.

Photo Gallery Elections Director Jane Platten at the central count warehouse. Elections officials are trying to minimize mistakes. Cuyahoga County votes will be tabulated by 15 of these scanners.

Platten says there will always be unknown factors that could affect an election. That’s especially true now that the county is switching from controversial touch-screen voting.  Another new element is that the paper ballots will all be scanned at a central warehouse in Cleveland rather than at polling places.

Platten also warns that voters should allow for the possibility of long lines at the polls.

PLATTEN: My staff is tired of hearing me say this, but voting these days is no longer a five minute process.

Platten has helped recruit over 1300 high school students to serve as poll workers.

On election night, she says absentee ballot results will be released by 7:45pm. Results will then trickle out over the next few hours.