Summit County board certifies March presidential primary after reviewing 2,505 ballots

Summit County’s board convened as the board of canvassers and unanimously certified the results of the March presidential primary after reviewing the county’s canvass report and signature-verification procedures.

Marlena, serving as acting chair, opened the canvass and asked for a motion to convene as the board of canvassers. An unidentified board member moved to convene as the board of canvassers for Summit County and a second was given. Unidentified staff then presented the county’s Canvas report for the March presidential primary.

"2,505 ballots were cast, we did not count 103 of the ballots that were submitted," an unidentified staff member said while summarizing the report, breaking down the uncounted ballots as mainly postmarked after the mailing deadline (about 57), 29 with signature mismatches, 10 unsigned, two envelopes returned without ballots and five ballots from a different election. The report also showed a roughly 37% turnout and listed Joseph Biden as the winner of the county’s Democratic primary.

Board members questioned the signature-verification process. An unidentified staff member described steps taken when a ballot arrives: ballots go to a signature verification room that is on camera; an initial reviewer compares the ballot signature to signatures on file and, if it’s called into question, the ballot receives two additional levels of review comparing it against up to five more signatures on file. If reviewers agree a signature does not match, the ballot is not opened and a letter is sent to the voter explaining the concern and giving options to cure the ballot.

"If that signer gets a letter sent to them that indicates that we haven't counted their ballot, we have received one and have concerns about the signature," the staff member said, describing the cure options, which include signing an affidavit and presenting identification in person by the stated deadline; the staff member noted voters had until 5:00 p.m. the prior day to cure their ballots.

The clerk reported that 69 ballots were challenged and that 30 of those challenged ballots were later cured and counted. Board members discussed routine reasons signatures can change over time — illness, injury, or differences between signatures captured at the Department of Motor Vehicles and later signatures — as context for why some ballots are flagged for review.

After discussion, an unidentified board member moved to "certify the March [Primary] for Summit County." The board voted in favor; the motion was recorded as carrying unanimously and the canvass was affirmed. A motion to adjourn followed and the meeting concluded.

The board did not record named vote tallies in the transcript; the meeting record says the motion "carries unanimously." The clerk added a signature page to the canvass packet for the official certification.