Stutz: No problems with absentee ballots

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Despite claims that local elections are “rigged,” and a recent statement by U.S. Representative Bob Latta claiming that a large number of absentee ballots have not been received by voters in the Fifth U.S. Congressional District, no such problems have been reported here in Van Wert County.

“We are definitely not having that problem,” Van Wert County Elections Director Linda Stutz said Monday afternoon when asked about possible absentee ballot issues, adding: “We’re not having any kind of problems here.”

Latta has claimed that ballots were mailed on time, but hundreds still have not reached their destinations. By Ohio law, ballots for the 2016 general election must be postmarked by Monday, November 7.

Stutz said she has not received any complaints that ballots haven’t reached prospective voters in the day or two normally needed for delivery by the U.S. Postal Service. She also noted that local postal authorities have been checking with her on a regular basis to ensure no problems arise.

“Knock on wood, I feel everything is going good,” she said of the general election. “The post office has been very good in checking with us about any possible problems.”

Stutz said 4,344 absentee ballots have been received so far for the November 8 general election, not including those received on Monday. That’s up from last year and likely will also exceed the 2012 presidential election, she noted.

Approximately 5,500 absentee ballots were cast during the 2012 election, with Stutz stating Monday she expects this year’s total could exceed 6,000, with a possibility it could even reach 7,000, with a week yet to go for absentee voting.

“There have been a lot of new voters this year,” the elections director added.

Ohio elections officials have also taken issue with reports that elections are being “rigged,” noting that the bipartisanship nature of elections boards across the nation, as well as the fact that voting machines are not connected to the Internet, make the possibility of voter fraud nearly impossible.