Election Advisory from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted

COLUMBUS – Secretary of State Jon Husted announced today that as of Friday, April 11, 2014, 31,709 Ohioans have already voted absentee and 109,415 ballots have been requested since the start of early voting in the 2014 Primary Election as reported by county boards of elections. Absentee voting for military and overseas voters began on Saturday, March 22, 2014, and on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, for all other voters.

What’s on the Ballot

Ohioans will vote on primary races for a number of statewide and local candidates, as well as decide the outcome of a statewide ballot issue and hundreds of local issues. A list of all federal, statewide, court of appeals and state legislative candidates is available here. County boards of elections can provide a list of candidates running for county and local offices. Voters can review the ballot language and summary for State Issue 1: Capital Improvements – General Obligation Bonds here. Information on the 614 local issues on the ballot, including school and local tax levies, bond issues and charter amendments, is available online here.

Absentee Voting by Mail

Starting April 1, 2014, boards began mailing out absentee ballots to those who had 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 (May 16, 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.

Voters wanting to cast an absentee ballot by mail have until Saturday, May 3rd at noon to request an absentee ballot 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

To ensure all Ohio voters have the same amount of time to vote in person early, Secretary Husted issued Directive 2014-06, establishing uniform hours statewide to ensure all voters have fair and equal access to the ballot during 2014 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.

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, visit www.OhioMilitaryVotes.com.