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Election Ballot Issues: Information on the 1,674 local issues on the ballot, including school and local tax levies, bond issues and charter amendments, is available online.
Military & Overseas Voting: County Boards of Elections began mailing absentee ballots to registered military and overseas voters who have requested a ballot on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, 45 days ahead of the election. Military and overseas voters who have not yet submitted a request for an absentee ballot may visit www.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 Nov. 1, 2014, but should be sent as soon as possible to allow adequate time for processing, mailing and the return of the voted ballots.
Absentee Voting by Mail (for All Other Voters): 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 (Nov. 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. All other voters have until Saturday, November 1st at noon to request an absentee ballot by mail and they may do so by contacting their county board of elections for more information, or by downloading an absentee ballot request form at MyOhioVote.com.
In-Person Absentee Voting: Following a recent court ruling, Secretary Husted has issued Directive 2014-28, establishing uniform hours for in-person absentee voting. While the directive sets hours beginning on September 30th, the schedule is still a matter of pending litigation and subject to change. Voters should contact their county board of elections for more information.
In Cleveland and its drop box: Pat McDonald, Director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, predicts voters will cast approximately 400,000 ballots in the upcoming November 4th General Election. “Of the 400,000 voters, we expect about 180,000 ballots to be cast by mail,” stated the Director. “Judging by voter behavior in similar elections and the 80,000 ballot applications we have already received, we are on track to reach our projection,” said McDonald.
To prepare for the anticipated busy November 4th General Election, the Board of Elections has unveiled a brand new drive through ballot drop box. The new drop box will make voting more accessible and convenient when people want to return their voted ballots.
“The secure drive through ballot box allows voters to deposit ballots at their convenience, any time, day or night. The ballot drop box was designed specifically for ballots and is monitored 24/7 by video surveillance, as well as checked and cleared out several times a day,” said McDonald.
The box is located in the Board of Elections rear parking lot and will be available to accept ballots, ballot applications, and voter registration cards.
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. 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.
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 www.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.
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