WKSU News: Ohio lawmakers want to know why 900 Summit County ballots were thrown out

Friday, November 20, 2015 Ohio lawmakers want to know why 900 Summit County ballots were thrown out They're calling on Secretary of State Jon Husted to find out why the ballots were received but not counted by WKSU's STATEHOUSE CORRESPONDENT JO INGLES	Reporter Jo Ingles

State Rep. Emilia Sykes says the ballots were not counted because they were not postmarked.

Courtesy of Ohio Statehouse

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Some Ohio lawmakers want Secretary of State Jon Husted to investigate why nearly 900 absentee ballots in Summit County were received but not counted in this year’s elections. Ohio Public Radio’s Jo Ingles reports.

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Ohio law says absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within 10 days to be counted. But Democratic State Rep. Emilia Sykes says the 900 ballots in Summit County were not counted because they were not postmarked because of changes in the way the post office processes mail after the closings of mail processing centers.

“Apparently there is a way to go to the post office and through the post office and to the board of elections without a postmark.”

Sykes says some local races were close and thinks those ballots could have made a difference. In a written statement, Husted says his office is working with the U.S. Postmaster General but also says the bipartisan board of elections in Summit County has followed the law and done the right thing.

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