How an election recount is triggered in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Election Day is quickly approaching and Ohio's top elections officials are preparing for any scenario, including recounts.

A recount can be triggered automatically if the margin of victory is less than .5%, or by candidate request. The procedure for a recount is consistent across local and statewide races.

“We will always try to get things done as quickly as we can, but what’s more important than that is accuracy,” Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) said. “If it’s a really tight margin then it could take several days after the election, it could take even weeks after the election if it has to go into a hand recount.”

If a recount is requested for a statewide race, it is filed with the Secretary of State’s office. Requests for local races are filed with the proper county's board of elections.

When a recount does occur, it must be conducted by teams of elections officials equally divided among the state's two major political parties.

Each type of ballot -- provisional, absentee and in-person -- is included in a recount and at least 5% of the total vote in the race must be recounted.

“That doesn’t happen often on statewide races because generally, the margin is sufficient enough to show that one person won election night,” LaRose said.

Larose said the only other scenario where official results may not be known by election night is if the number of outstanding absentee and provisional ballots is larger than the number of votes a candidate is winning by.

“Then that, by definition, tells you that this thing is not over yet and is going to go into ‘overtime’ if you will,” LaRose said.