Covered by Documenters Mildred Seward and Giorgiana Lascu
What happened: The Cleveland Metropolitan School District attempted to bill the elections board for custodial work in school buildings used as polling locations in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Public buildings can’t charge a rental fee for hosting polls, but they can charge custodial fees, officials said. Director Anthony Perlatti called the bills unexpected and said the board wants to work with the district for more timely billing. Board members considered and approved payment only for the three elections held in 2022. The cost was about $180,000.
Voter ID: Board members discussed the impact of House Bill 458, which was signed into law this month by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. It will require voters to present unexpired state-issued identification or federal identification such as a passport or military ID card. Elections officials discussed concerns about how the change would affect the use of provisional ballots and whether there is enough time to educate poll workers and voters about the changes before the next election.
And also: Board Member Inajo Davis Chappell talked about a report by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office that detailed 630 cases of potential voter fraud. Chappell asked how many have been in Cuyahoga County. The reports show most of the findings involved voters who had moved to other states.
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Giorgiana Lascu:
Learn about additional changes to elections that were a part of House Bill 458, including fewer days to cast ballots and the elimination of most August special elections.