DAYTON — With Election Day 41 days away, early voting in Montgomery County is set to begin in less than two weeks as local election workers prepare equipment and process requests.
Under a new rule this year, all dropped-off ballots must be delivered to the county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
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Jeff Rezabek, director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections, said staff members are working continuously to process thousands of voter registrations and absentee ballot applications.
Ensuring that elections remain safe, secure, and efficient is the primary focus for the board, which is conducting testing on all voting equipment across the county.
Voting options in Ohio expanded following the COVID-19 pandemic, giving electors multiple ways to participate in elections.
Voters can submit absentee ballots by mail, cast ballots early in person, or vote on Election Day.
“Especially after COVID, a lot of options opened up,” Rezabek said. “We had early voting through absentee mail. Now we also have early voting in person. And of course, you have Election Day.”
Board workers are currently evaluating voting machines designated for both early voting centers and Election Day polling sites.
“We’re testing all the equipment that will be out there on Election Day,” Rezabek said. “We’ve already tested some of our equipment that’s in our early vote center.”
Rezabek explained that pre-election testing verifies that every machine functions accurately before votes are cast.
“All this equipment gets tested to make sure it’s accurate in understanding what the voters are going to put in on their ballot and make sure that it accurately reflects that in the ultimate vote,” Rezabek said.
To safeguard election integrity, local officials enforce strict digital and physical security protocols. Computers used for counting votes in Montgomery County are kept entirely disconnected from the internet.
In addition, security elements built into the ballots and return envelopes prevent counterfeit submissions from being processed.
“There’s things on the ballot itself for things on the envelope that we control and that we know to look for,” Rezabek said.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said the state maintains a balance between accessible voting options and rigorous election security. “You don’t have to choose either convenience or security,” LaRose said.
“In Ohio, we have convenient elections. It is undeniably easy to vote in the Buckeye State, but we also have secure elections. Those two go together, and we’re proud to maintain that balance.”
Early voting in person and by absentee ballot begins Oct. 6.
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