of the law and with his motivations.132 Franklin County Board Chairman created Anthony

stated, with him to demo out with that decision so close to Election Day . . . I'm version of his

motivations."133 The Director of the Franklin County Board also disagreed with Blackwell and

asserted that its precincts would have voters who insist they are in the correct precinct sign

affidavits and submit provisional ballots.134 Cuyahoga County directed people to the right

precincts but still accepted provisional ballots from anyone who insisted on voting.135 Cuyahoga

County Board Chairman Bob Bennett, who also chairs the Ohio Republican Party, issued a

statement saying the Board would not deny ballots to voters who wanted them:

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections will not turn voters away. . . . We are

simply trying to avoid confrontation at the ballot box over the validity of each

ballot. Those decisions will be made by the board of elections according to state

In response, Mr. Blackwell's spokesperson threatened such election officials with removal from

their positions.137

In Hamilton County, election officials implemented Mr. Blackwell's directive and

refused to count provisional ballots cast at the correct polling place even if they were cast at the

wrong table in that polling place.138 Some polling places contained multiple precincts that were

located at different tables.139 As a result, 1,110 provisional ballots were deemed invalid because

people voted in the wrong precinct. In about 40 percent of these cases, voters found the correct

polling places, which contained multiple precincts, but workers directed them to the wrong

Suzanne Hoholik & Mark Niquette, Provisional Ballots: Election Directive Rattles

Officials, CO L U M B U S DIS P A T CH , Oct. 7, 2004, at 1A.

Id. ("If the voter is in the precinct and insists that this is their precinct, then we have to,

in my opinion, allow that person to sign an affidavit and vote provisional.") (quoting Matthew

Damschroder, Director, Franklin County Board of Elections).

John McCarthy, Ohio's Largest County to Defy Provisional Ballot Order, AS S O C.

PR E S S, Oct. 5, 2004 (quoting Bob Bennett, Chairman, Cuyahoga County Board of Elections).

Tony Cook, Final Ballots Offer No Changes, CINCINNA TI PO S T, Nov. 27, 2004.

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