Secretary
of State Jon Husted
Husted
sets Fair and Uniform Voting Hours for 2014 General Election
COLUMBUS
– In adopting a proposal put forth by Democratic and Republican
elections officials, Secretary Husted today announced a voting
schedule that will ensure voters in all 88 counties will have an
equal opportunity to cast a ballot in the 2014 statewide election.
Secretary
Husted’s directive issued today implements a bipartisan proposal by
the Ohio Association of Elections Officials (OAEO) and will give
Ohioans the ability to cast an absentee ballot in person over the
course of four weeks leading up to Election Day. During the week,
boards will be open for voting from 8:00am to 5:00pm, and on the last
two Saturdays before the election, from 8:00am to 4:00pm.
“In
2014, absentee voters will have the option of voting in person for
four weeks, or they can vote without ever leaving home by completing
the absentee ballot request form we will be sending all voters,”
Secretary Husted said. “Our goal is to make it easy to vote and
hard to cheat and to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity in
the voting process no matter which method they choose.”
For
three years, Secretary Husted and local elections officials have
asked legislators from both political parties to come together and
enact a law that establishes uniform days and hours to achieve that
fairness. The OAEO, representing the Republicans and Democrats who
run local elections in counties large and small, put forth a
bipartisan blueprint for action by agreeing to a uniform voting
schedule.
“I
have watched as numerous election laws have passed the General
Assembly and yet the bipartisan plan I have advocated for has neither
been introduced nor adopted,” Husted said. “We have a bipartisan
solution in this proposal and it is time to implement it.”
“Ohio’s
election officials poured blood, sweat and tears into arriving at
hours that are fair to Ohio’s voters. Our proposal represents a
bipartisan agreement that takes into account many different points of
view,” Kathy Jones, Democratic Director of the Brown County Board
of Elections and President of the OAEO said. “Compromise is a key
element in administering elections, and it is something we do day-in
and day-out. These hours truly encapsulate what Speaker Verne Riffe
used to say, ‘sometimes the best compromise is when no one is
entirely happy.’”
Shawn
Stevens, a Republican Board of Elections Member in Delaware County
and First Vice President of the OAEO said: "The hours contained
in Secretary Husted’s directive capture the most fundamental
element of election administration. They are FAIR. At the end of
the day, we can argue over what is best for a particular county board
of elections or another, but that is not what this is about. This
directive is about what is fair to voters and taxpayers in every Ohio
county, and that is why this directive will serve the state well.”
“The
Ohio Association of Election Officials is as bipartisan as you can
be. Because we are bipartisan, we are not driven by political
agendas, but by what is best for Ohio’s voters. And Ohio’s voters
and the people who run elections need the clarity that is offered by
this directive.” said Aaron Ockerman, Executive Director of the
OAEO. “Voters in every Ohio county can vote during the day, on
weekends or by mail. That is fair, that is practical and that is
bipartisan," Ockerman added.
Secretary
Husted wants to ensure the voting schedule is set well before the
general election so that voters and elections officials know what to
expect and can adequately prepare. Hours for voting leading up to the
May primary election remain as set by Secretary Husted in
mid-January. The primary schedule also mirrors the bipartisan OAEO
proposal.
Taken
together, Secretary Husted’s directive governing in-person early
voting; his plan to mail absentee ballot applications to all
registered voters in the fall; not to mention the fact that Election
Day polls will be open from 6:30am to 7:30pm, achieve the goal of
treating all voters fairly and provides ample opportunity and
multiple options for them to cast ballots throughout 2014.
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