I just got back from casting my vote at the Ohio primary election. Originally, I requested an absentee ballot (as voters in Ohio are encouraged to do), but I never received it in the mail. Therefore, when I arrived at the polling station (Aladdin Shrine Center in Columbus), they told me that I would have to cast a provisional ballot, and they directed me to the provisional ballot table. There the lady at the table asked me if I wanted a Democratic or Republican ballot (she obviously doesn’t know me very well).

Next, I showed my driver’s license and filled out a short form, and I then went to one of the voting booths and filled out my ballot, which took me about 10 seconds, since I only voted for my preferred presidential nominee. I then dropped my provisional ballot in the ballot box, and I was given a piece of paper with a phone number on it that I could call to verify that my provisional ballot was counted. All in all, I was in and out of there in about 10 minutes. The lady at the provisional ballot table said that they had been very busy. It will be quite interesting if the election comes down to the provisional ballots, but I suspect that it will be decided before then.

Tags: Ohio primary, Ohio primary election