Public test of ballot counting machines successful for August election

MEDINA — The Medina County Board of Elections held a public test before its meeting Thursday to determine if the ballot counting machines were working properly, and they were. The three pieces of voting equipment that were tested for this election were for the Gloria Glens Park Village Community Building, Crestview Elementary School and the Ella Everhard Library. A variety of fake test ballots are created for the public test. The votes on these ballots are tallied by hand before being put in the machine. Testers also check the zero report to make sure the numbers are not off before counting the ballots by machine. After all the ballots have been inserted, bipartisan teams sign the reports. These reports are cross-referenced with the tally that was done by hand to see if they match. All results from this election's public test were the same as the tally. The board then signs the finished product. Elections board Director Carol Lawler said as of Thursday, there have been 418 in-office voters, and 772 ballots were requested for out-of-office voting. Out of the 1,190 total ballots, 53 percent were Democratic ballots and 47 percent were Republican. Lawler said there has been a slow return rate for ballots with only 49 percent of ballots back to the Board of Elections office so far. Medina County also has a sufficient number of poll workers for the August election, she said. There are 39 more poll workers than the minimum required. For the November election, the board accepted Democrat Pete Kirner to fill the vacancy for the Medina County Common Pleas Court Domestic Relations Division. He will be on the ballot to fill the unexpired term for Judge Mary Kovack, who died in February. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.