Election Advisory from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted

COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today announced that with just under three weeks to go before the 2014 General Election, nearly 741,000 Ohioans have already cast and/or requested an absentee ballot for the November 4th General Election.

Based on an informal survey of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections, as of Friday, October 10, 2014:

· 722,498 voters have requested absentee ballots to vote by mail.

o Of those, 33,372 absentee ballots by mail have been cast.

· 15,571 Ohioans have cast an absentee ballot in person at the board of elections or designated early vote center.

· 2,421 military and overseas voters have requested ballots.

o Of those, 363 military and overseas ballots have been cast.

Secretary Husted also noted that the second wave of absentee ballot applications will drop this week and include the more than 215,000 voters who registered to vote or updated their information after August 1st. When combined with the initial mailing that went out around Labor Day, 6.58 million Ohio voters are receiving absentee ballot applications in the mail for the 2014 General Election. The cost for this year’s mailing, which is paid for with existing Help America Vote Act funds, is less than $1 million. In 2012, the statewide mailing cost $1.5 million. Secretary Husted achieved this savings by securing a lower postal rate, resulting in a 30 percent savings per piece mailed.

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 1,675 local issues, including school and local tax levies, bond issues and charter amendments. A complete list of local issues is available online here. This includes a recently added charter amendment for the City of Powell in Delaware County.

In-Person Absentee Voting

Secretary Husted established uniform hours for in-person absentee voting following a recent court ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. Directive 2014-30 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 began mailing 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.

Voters have until Saturday, November 1st at noon to request an absentee ballot by mail, though they should do it as soon as possible to allow for plenty of time to receive, complete and return their ballot. In addition to the statewide mailing, voters can also 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.

Find Your Polling Place

Not sure where to vote? Voters can easily find their 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.

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