After spending the last couple of weeks conducting a review of the 2020 election, the Butler County Commissioners are opting to stop the process at the moment.
The commissioners say that the initial process wanted to look at three different precincts, but time has run out for them to finish the third—which was Middlesex Township. However, the commissioners expressed interest in reviewing the results of the 2022 election for that precinct.
“I dig my heels on the Election Review Commission,” Commissioners Leslie Osche said of the report that was done in the wake of the 2020 election. “It recommended that we review a select number of precincts following each election.”
Overall, the commissioners found the process to be very educational. The results between the hand-count and scanning were nearly identical.
Commissioner Leslie Osche did note the one error that was found was due to an undervote—which means the voter either left the race blank or mismarked the ballot. Osche said that while a voter at the polls would be reminded that they missed a race, or filled one out incorrectly, those voting by mail would not be afforded that opportunity.
She is advocating for a way to set aside undervotes and allow them to go to the computation board for a review during all elections.
County solicitor Wil White said the scanners proved to be very accurate—adding that they counted votes in circles that that were partially marker, with a check mark, and other markings.
Overall, the process took just shy of 170 hours.
Commissioner Kevin Boozel offered a rough estimate that the process cost around $10,000.
“We have gone 100 yards ahead of everyone else in regards to our election process,” Boozel said.
