Ohio officials reminded voters that election night results are unofficial

Ohio county officials and voting rights advocates reminded the public Friday that election results reported on Tuesday night are always unofficial and that significant work continues after polls close at 7:30 p.m. Defiance County Board of Elections Director Tonya Wichman said bipartisan teams process mailed, early, Election Day, and provisional ballots, with audits continuing after certification. Wichman noted that automatic recounts are triggered within 0.25 points for statewide races and 0.5 points for county or multicounty contests.¹

Former Democratic lawmaker and newspaper editor Mike Curtin said the volume of lawsuits filed ahead of the November election suggests more litigation could follow next week and next month.¹

What Ohio voters should know about certification and recounts

County boards canvass no later than the 21st day after the election, November 24.² A recount is automatic when the margin is one half of one percent or less, or one quarter of one percent or less for a statewide race, and it must take place within 10 days after it is declared.³ Certificates are not issued until any recount that was applied for is complete.³