Elections in Ohio frequently attract national attention. From mailing military ballots to completing the election audit, Ohioans understand the importance of transparent, well-organized elections.

Since the 2020 election, election administration has moved from a relatively obscure policy area to the center of many political debates. Concerns have been raised about the way elections are being conducted in Ohio and across the United States. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, it is important to understand the work of election officials who ensure secure and accurate elections.

Election administration is a full-time job, and the election process begins well before Election Day. Election administration is largely left to Ohio’s 88 counties. In each county, elections are conducted by knowledgeable and experienced election officials and overseen by bipartisan representatives. county electoral boards, ensure transparency and fairness. Staff appointments are also made in a bipartisan manner, reinforcing Ohio’s commitment to bipartisanship in all parts of election administration.

In addition to bipartisan oversight, Ohio election officials benefit from a statewide support system: the Ohio Association of Election Officials (OAEO). This group provides officials with a platform to share experiences, resources, and information on best practices in election administration.

In addition, WEAO provides continuing education courses for election officials through the Ohio State University program. Ohio Registered Election Agent (OREO) Certification program. OREO offers certification to election officials, ensuring they are knowledgeable about election laws, processes, and management. Since the launch of the program, more than 600 civil servants have been certified by OREO.

As part of the regular election process, officials rigorously test voting equipment before elections to ensure security and accuracy. These machines are not connected to the Internet, which minimizes the risk of external interference or vote manipulation.

Since 2008, Ohio election officials have conducted post-election audits to build confidence. This combination of policies – automatic vote tabulation followed by a post-election audit – provides the most accurate and efficient vote tabulation process. In fact, audit results released by the Ohio Secretary of State after each election routinely demonstrate 99.9% accuracy.

In addition to maintaining a professional and well-trained election staff, Ohio’s laws have built-in mechanisms to ensure security, transparency and accuracy.

State law and election officials ensure that only eligible voters participate in elections.

It is illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections under federal law, and in 2022, Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment prohibit non-citizens from voting in state or local elections. Complete analyzes across the political spectrum have concluded that non-citizen voting is extremely rare and has never occurred in large enough numbers to determine election outcomes.

These are just a few of the many tasks election officials across Ohio are undertaking to ensure elections are secure and accurate.

Despite their high degree of experience and professionalism, election officials can still enjoy the support of legislators and citizens.

The Ohio delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote in favor of the U.S. Senate’s proposed additional funding for election security grants, giving election officials more resources to invest in security infrastructure and technology upgrades. The Ohio Legislature can improve funding for local election offices to improve election worker recruitment, training and retention efforts.

For citizens curious about the election process, consider volunteering to become an election worker to both learn about the system and help administer the election. When questions arise about Ohio’s elections, please visit vote.ohio.gov to access up-to-date information on election-related policies and processes.

Ohio has a system in place designed to ensure that every vote counts and that the election process is secure and transparent. By staying informed, getting involved and supporting election officials, Ohioans can be confident their elections are in good hands.

Paul Adams is the current president of the Ohio Association of Election Officials and director of the Lorain County Board of Elections. Kim Wyman is the former Secretary of State of Washington State and a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank based in Washington, DC.