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Secretary of State Jon Husted
Voter
Registration Deadline Monday, Absentee Voting Starts Tuesday
Deadline to register to vote is Monday; Voters will have four weeks to
cast ballots.
More than 582,000 absentee ballots have already been requested.
COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today reminded Ohioans
that they have until Monday, October 6th, to get registered to vote or
update their voting information, and that absentee voting begins the
following day on Tuesday, October 7th, for the 2014 General Election.
Secretary Husted also noted that 582,971 Ohio voters have already
requested an absentee ballot for the upcoming election. More than six
million absentee ballot applications were mailed to voters statewide by
Secretary Husted around Labor Day. A second, supplemental mailing is
scheduled for early October to include those individuals who have
registered to vote or updated their voting information since August 1st.
What’s on the Ballot
In the 2014 General Election, Ohioans will vote for candidates for a
number of statewide and local offices including Governor, Attorney
General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Ohio Supreme Court,
Congress, General Assembly, State Board of Education, Court of Appeals
and county offices. A list of statewide candidates is available here.
For a list of all other candidates running, contact the county boards
of elections.
In addition to candidates appearing on the ballot, voters will decide
the outcome of 1,674 local issues, including school and local tax
levies, bond issues and charter amendments. A complete list of local
issues is available online here.
It is worth noting that recently four local issues were withdrawn and
four local issues were added to the ballot. Issues withdrawn include a
children services renewal tax levy and a Troy East liquor option in
Athens County, a Madison Township fire protection levy in Marion
County, and an Eastwood Local School District bond issue in Wood
County. Issues added to the ballot include a tax levy for Gibsonburg
School District and two tax levies for Helena Village in Sandusky
County, as well as a Maple Heights charter amendment in Cuyahoga County.
Register to Vote/Update Your Address
The deadline to register to vote for the November 4th General Election
is October 6, 2014 (30 days prior to the election). Voter registration
forms are available at MyOhioVote.com or from local boards of elections
and other designated agencies, such as libraries and BMVs. Should
voters have moved since the last election, they should also act now to
update their voting address online at MyOhioVote.com.
Check Your Registration
Not sure where to vote or if your voting address is up to date? Voters
can easily check their voter registration information, including voting
address and polling location, online at MyOhioVote.com. The system is
populated with information from county boards of elections. It is
important to note that boards may make a last minute change to a
person’s polling place that would not be reflected online, but voters
would be notified by mail. Questions about information contained in the
online system should be directed to the county boards of elections.
In-Person Absentee Voting
Following yesterday’s court ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, Secretary
Husted issued Directive 2014-30, establishing uniform hours for
in-person absentee voting. The directive ensures all voters have fair
and equal access to the ballot during the 2014 elections and can vote
over the course of four weeks, including two Saturdays and a Sunday.
Absentee Voting by Mail
Boards will mail out absentee ballots at the start of the early voting
period to those who have requested them. Voters must complete, sign and
seal their voted ballots, taking care to provide the required
information, including proper identification. Voted ballots must be
postmarked the day before Election Day and received no later than the
10th day after the election (November 14, 2014). Absentee ballots may
also be delivered in person to boards of elections no later than the
close of the polls on Election Day. They may not be returned at polling
locations.
Those who have not yet requested their absentee ballots have until
Saturday, November 1st at noon to request one by mail, though they
should do it as soon as possible to allow for plenty of time to
receive, complete and return their ballot. Voters can get an absentee
ballot by contacting their county board of elections for more
information, or by downloading an absentee ballot request form at
MyOhioVote.com.
Military & Overseas Voting
County Boards of Elections began mailing absentee ballots to registered
military and overseas voters who have requested a ballot on Saturday,
September 20th, 45 days ahead of the election. Military and overseas
voters who have not yet submitted a request for an absentee ballot may
visit OhioMilitaryVotes.com to download an application and/or contact
their county board of elections. Requests must be received by county
boards of elections no later than noon on November 1, 2014, but should
be sent as soon as possible to allow adequate time for processing,
mailing and the return of the voted ballots.
Election Day Voting
Polls are open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm on Election Day. Voters choosing to
head to the polls on Election Day need to remember to bring the proper
form of ID and know their polling place and precinct. Voters can check
their polling place and precinct and get other important voting
information by visiting MyOhioVote.com.
Get Elections Updates and Ohio’s Virtual Voting Sticker
Ohio voters are encouraged to link with “OhioSOSHusted” on Facebook and
Twitter to get elections information and updates throughout the
year. Here they can also get a virtual voting sticker badge to
let their friends and followers know they’ve participated in the
election, whether they chose to cast their ballots by mail or in
person. Facebook users simply need to “like” Ohio Secretary of State
Jon Husted’s official Facebook page to “wear” a virtual sticker on
their wall. Twitter users may share their voting badge by visiting the
Secretary of State’s website.
Vote in Honor of a Veteran
With Vote in Honor of a Veteran, voters may also demonstrate the pride
they feel for a veteran by dedicating their vote to them. By
participating in this program Ohioans help raise awareness about the
importance of voting and highlight the powerful bond between our
veterans and democracy. For more information on how to participate in
this program visit OhioMilitaryVotes.com
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