BATAVIA, Ohio (July 7, 2015) — Voters in the Village of Bethel will be the first Clermont County residents to use new ballot tabulation scanners in their Aug. 4 Special Election. Voters will still fill in the ovals on their paper ballot to vote for or against the 8 mill police tax levy, but the tabulation equipment will be new, with a larger and more legible screen. It will also be easier for poll workers to set up.
County Commissioners purchased the new tabulation equipment in May for the entire county, which includes 166 voting precincts, at the recommendation of the Board of Elections. The Board of Elections plans to use the new equipment for the entire county in the Nov. 3 General Election. This will serve as a trial run prior to the Presidential Primary Election on March 15, 2016.
The current tabulation equipment is over 10 years old and both the Board of Elections and the Board of Commissioners agreed that the continued reliability of the older equipment could become questionable.
Early voting for the Bethel Special Election starts July 7. Voters can either vote by mail or vote at the Board of Elections during office hours until Election Day or vote at the polls on Election Day.
To vote by mail voters can call the Board of Elections at 513-732-7275 to request an application or they can print one off the Board of Elections’ website at www.ClermontElections.org. Voters can then mail the completed application to the Board of Elections to receive their ballot in the mail.
Voters can also vote at the Board of Elections during office hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Extended hours will take place 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Aug. 1; 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2; and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3. On Election Day, polls will be open 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Bethel Village Community Building, 129 N. Union St.
The Clermont County Board of Elections is located at 76 S. Riverside, Batavia, 45103. #######
