A federal judge in Toledo ruled this afternoon that provisional ballots should be given to all voters in Ohio who originally requested absentee ballots but never received one.
The practical aspect of the ruling is limited because the polls close in Ohio at 7:30 p.m., but U.S. District Judge David Katz urged media throughout the state to alert voters.
The issue arose when a Toledo voter said she requested an absentee ballot but never received one. When she tried to vote, she said she was turned away.
Those voters who were turned away at polls today are urged to return and request a provisional ballot. Whether those ballots will actually be counted will be decided later, but for now Judge Katz said voters deserve the right to cast a ballot.
Meanwhile, complaints from both voters and poll workers intensified throughout the day in Lucas County because of high turnout, with some voters complaining they waited 90 minutes or more to vote and others lamenting about confusion over their proper polling station.
The stress levels at the polling locations for elections workers were so high in some places, that precinct judges have threatened to leave, said Bernadette Noe, chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party.
At least two polling stations ran out of ballots and some voters continued to be frustrated by the new optical scan voting machines. Turnout was heavy at most polling places, and some voters stood in line for at least an hour many of them in pouring rain.
Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.
First Published November 3, 2004, 1:07 a.m.