Name: More than 33,000 ballots counted already in Oklahoma County, here's what that process looks like
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More than 33,000 ballots counted already in Oklahoma County, here's what that process looks like

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sharesRelatedMore than 33,000 mail-in ballots were counted in the first three days of processing at the Oklahoma County Election Board.&nbsp;While no votes were tabulated specifically for one candidate (and won’t be until Election Day on Nov. 3rd), the board said at this rate it is expecting to see an increase of nearly triple the amount of mail-in ballots from the June Primary.&nbsp;All 77 counties in Oklahoma were given permission from Paul Ziriax, the Secretary of the State Election Board, to start counting ballots early on Oct. 8th. Bipartisan County Election Boards supervise the absentee ballot processing procedure to ensure that laws and rules are followed and that absentee ballots have been properly executed.Oklahoma County officials say the volume of ballots is forcing many employees to work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday to keep up with processing.&nbsp;“This is a tremendous undertaking,” said Doug Sanderson, Oklahoma County Election Board Secretary. “We had to figure out some way to do it where all the functions are visible to the public but doesn’t reveal how any votes are cast and to do it in a way to keep our employees safe due to COVID.”&nbsp;Due to the large volume of votes by mail and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Oklahoma County Election Board has had to conduct business a little differently this year.&nbsp;Here’s what the process looks like this year:&nbsp;Counting the ballotsA mix of 25 full-time and part-time employees for the Oklahoma County Election Board break into groups to perform different tasks while processing ballots.&nbsp;In normal years, these different processes would take place in one room, but due to the need for social distancing, the work was spread out over multiple rooms inside the county election board offices.&nbsp;Public viewing is only available from the main board room of the election board headquarters, which forced the board to get creative to comply with the open meetings act. The board got the approval of state Election Board and the District Attorney’s office to provide video monitoring of the sorting and validation process going on in the other rooms.A wall with eight televisions showed employees removing ballots from envelopes before moving them to a second station of about a dozen volunteers who verify the accompanying affidavit was signed and notarized or that a copy of an identification document was attached.A third camera showed a live feed of the counting machines while the fourth camera displayed the main board room where the public can be. &nbsp;After being processed, absentee ballots are secured under the supervision of the county sheriff and tabulation of absentee results cannot start until after polls close on Election Day.&nbsp;Officials say this helps ensures that absentee election results are not known or leaked before the polls close on Election Day.COVID-19 precautions&nbsp;(Story continued below...)Sanderson said it’s crucial that the staff follows COVID-19 procedures and stays socially distant and wears masks. Employees also had their temperature taken before entering the facility.&nbsp;Desks were spaced out more than six feet apart and some workers wore gloves.&nbsp;Sanderson also said the majority of the employees are older in age, making them more prone to contract and become seriously ill from the coronavirus.&nbsp;“If anyone were to get sick or something it would be devastating,” Sanderson said. “The safety and health of our employees is so important right now.”&nbsp;Ballots with errorsEven in just the first few days of counting, Sanderson said there were many ballots that had “problems” either with the affidavit or because of a forgotten notary or photocopied I.D.&nbsp;Sanderson says each ballot gets a thorough review, often looked at four times before it’s ultimately determined that it can’t count.&nbsp;“When we are processing those, we go overboard in trying to get every ballot counted,” Sanderson said. “We are looking for ways to count absentee ballots not reject them.”&nbsp;For anyone concerned about the fate of their ballot though, Sanderson said there isn’t any recourse for correction as ballots are only “rejected” on election day. He said that’s why it’s crucial to follow the instructions from the beginning.Adam KempCommenting on NewsOK requires a NewsOK Pro or Oklahoman subscription.or to read and leave comments.

sharesRelatedMore than 33,000 mail-in ballots were counted in the first three days of processing at the Oklahoma County Election Board.&nbsp;While no votes were tabulated specifically for one candidate (and won’t be until Election Day on Nov. 3rd), the board said at this rate it is expecting to see an increase of nearly triple the amount of mail-in ballots from the June Primary.&nbsp;All 77 counties in Oklahoma were given permission from Paul Ziriax, the Secretary of the State Election Board, to start counting ballots early on Oct. 8th. Bipartisan County Election Boards supervise the...

More than 33,000 ballots counted already in Oklahoma County, here's what that process looks like

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