How to Vote in a Voting Booth in Ohio

Voting booths offer privacy during the voting process.

The right to vote is one of the founding principles of our democratic society. Citizens of the United States have the ability to voice their opinion and alter the face of politics by casting their vote. Voting is often a private and personal event. To aid in the privacy of elections, polling places have voting booths that offer privacy to constituents as they carry out their civic duty. There are high-tech Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting booths that record and store voting records electronically, and more basic booths where Optical Scan sheets are scanned and tabulated later. The state of Ohio uses both types.

Instructions

1. Find out your voting location and the type of voting booth the polling place has before the election. The Ohio Secretary of State website offers information on the type of voting booths used in each of the state's 88 counties.

2. Check in with election officials at your designated voting location on the day of the election to receive your Optical Scan ballot or and access code or card for the DRE. Be sure to bring proper identification. Ohio accepts a driver's license, military identification or a current utility bill, bank statement, credit card statement or cell phone bill as proper identification.

3. Use the eScan voting booth by completing your Optical Scan ballot first. Complete the ballot by filling in the oval next to your selected candidate's name. Fill in the oval completely. For a write-in candidate, fill in the oval next to write-in, then write the candidate's name on the line provided. Review your ballot for accuracy before inserting it into the Optical Scanner/Tabulator to cast your vote. If you make an error, the machine will return your ballot for review.

4. Use the AutoMark Optical Scan voting booth by first inserting your ballot into the voting machine. Select your language, review the instructions, then touch the "Next," button to proceed to the ballot. It may take a few minutes for the ballot to load. Select your candidates by touching their names on the screen. For write-in candidates, touch "Write-in" and a keyboard will appear on the screen. Type in the candidate's first and last name. Use the "Next," and "Back," buttons to navigate the ballot if it's more than one page long. After reviewing your selections, touch the "Mark Ballot," button. After you ballot has been marked, feed your ballot into the Optical Scanner/Tabulator to cast your vote.

5. Use the iVotronic DRE by first inserting the access card given to you at your polling location into the voting machine. Select your candidates by touching the box next to their names. To deselect a candidate touch the box next to the person's name a second time. To select a write-in candidate, touch the box next to write-in. A keyboard will appear on the screen. Type the first and last name of the candidate. Review your selections on the summary screen, then touch "Vote," to submit your ballot. Return your voter access card to the polling officials.

6. Use the eSlate DRE by first selecting your language using the wheel, then entering the access code given to you at registration, also using the wheel. This code can only be used once. Highlight the name of your selected candidate, then select "Enter." For write-in candidates, highlight write-in, select enter and a keyboard will appear on the screen. Type in the first and last name of your candidate using the wheel. Review your choices on the review screen, then touch "Record Ballot," to cast your vote.

Tips & Warnings

• People with disabilities or the inability to read or write can request assistance in the voting booth.

References

• Ohio Secretary of State: Voting Booth Information
• How to Vote: A Guide to Every Voting Machine in America