MOUNT VERNON — Early voting is underway for the Nov. 4 General Election, and the Board of Elections is confident the equipment is ready to go.
Elections staff spent four days last week testing equipment to ensure it was ready for early voting and on Election Day.
Early in-person voting began on Tuesday at the Board of Elections, located at 104 E. Sugar St.
“We have to test every piece of election equipment that we put out to voters. That’s literally every piece,” Knox County BOE Deputy Director Jack Goodman said.
“That’s 37 DS 200 tabulators, one large DS 850, which is our absentee and provisional machine up in the ballot room, and then our express machines.”
Each of the 25 polling locations has an express machine. The BOE keeps another six at the office.
Staff members also test every ballot style to ensure accuracy and that the equipment correctly tabulates them.
The BOE retains the test results as part of its records retention process.
Education is key to casting a valid vote
The 2025 General Election includes 16 write-in candidates for various positions, including township trustees and council members.
Write-in candidates are also on the ballot for school board seats.
“Because of the school board races, there will be lots of different ballot styles on Election Day,” BOE Director James Blazer said.
“So it’s important for voters when they get their ATV ticket (Authority to Vote) that they make sure they are getting the right ballot.”
For example, Jefferson Township residents are in the same township, but voters will have different ballots because of the Loudonville and Danville school districts.
Goodman also cautioned voters to be aware of which school district they are in.
“That’s also about educating yourself and knowing who the candidates are,” he said.
Polling location changes on Nov. 4
Citizens voting on Election Day should verify their polling location because the BOE changed the location for 11 precincts for Election Day. The reasons for the changes varied.
Middlebury Township shifted from the First Church of God on Zolman Road to the township house on Waterford Road.
“It was just renovated, and it’s ADA accessible. The township trustees asked us to shift it there because it’s more centrally located for their voters,” Goodman explained.
“Wayne Township was shifted from the Dorema Township Hall to the Fredericktown administration building at the old high school because that’s a nice facility with lots of space. Dorema Hall has parking issues. It has accessibility issues, so that was one factor in doing those sorts of shifts.”
Goodman said the board also considered the distance voters had to travel, as well as the decreased number of voters on Election Day.
“As more and more people vote early in person or early mail absentee, there’s less traffic on Election Day, less people coming out to vote,” he said.
“So it’s accessibility and practical things, but it is also a cost-saving measure. It’s not our primary reason, but when we go from 28 to 25 locations, we don’t have to buy more spare tabulators, which can cost $6,000 to $8,000 apiece.
“And when we look at future purchases, it’ll be quite a cost savings,” Goodman added.
The change in Harrison Township stemmed from difficulties in recruiting poll workers. Combining it with Butler Township at the Millwood Church of Christ reduces the number of poll workers the BOE must recruit.
The elections board mailed a notice to residents who had a change in their polling location.
“We’ll also post the change at the old locations and let them know the new ones,” Goodman said.
