Boards of election in Ohio are open late Monday night, giving people more time to register to vote in August’s special election on only one statewide issue that would increase the percentage of votes needed to make changes in the state constitution.
Voters must be registered by Monday’s deadline to cast absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting at local election boards which begins Tuesday, July 12.
If Issue One is passed, making changes in Ohio’s Constitution would need a 60% margin of approval, instead of the current 50%.
Supporters of reproductive rights in the state have criticized Issue One as a political move to make it more difficult to gain approval of a constitutional amendment to ensure abortion access planned for the November ballot.
Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights last week submitted more than 700,000 signatures on petitions for Issue One. At least 413,446 signatures must be validated by the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to place the issue before voters this fall.
Election boards, including those in Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana County are open until 9 p.m. Monday, July 11, 2023, which is the deadline for registering to vote on August 8.
You may also register to vote or update your voter registration address online by following the below link:
To register online you will need to provide the following:
You can also register in person at your local county election office:
TRUMBULL COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
2947 Youngstown Rd., SE, Warren, OH 44484
MAHONING COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
345 Oak Hill Ave. Entrance A, Youngstown, OH 44502
COLUMBIANA COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
7989 Dickey Dr., Suite 3, Lisbon, OH 44432
Early in-person voting:
Early in-person voting takes place at your local election boards from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through Friday, July 28, and again from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 31.
The hours of early in-person voting in August are scheduled from 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1, and from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. from Wednesday, August 2 through Friday, August 4.
The only weekend early in-person voting is scheduled on Saturday, August 5 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday, August 6, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
The last chance to cast votes in person will be on Election Day, Tuesday, August 8 from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Absentee voting
Absentee voting by mail is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. The ballots must be postmarked by Monday, August 7, and be received by local election boards by Saturday, August 12.
Obtaining an absentee ballot:
You must use the application form prescribed by the Secretary of State (Form 11-A) or provided to you by your county board of elections to apply for your absentee ballot.
The application may be downloaded online by following the below link:
https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballot/
Send your request to your county board of elections. Board mailing addresses are listed above.
Ohio voters whose registration information is up to date can vote in any election by requesting an absentee ballot. Voters need to fill out and return an application and their absentee ballot will be mailed to them so they may make their selections and return their ballot to the board of elections ahead of Election Day.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the election in which you want to vote. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election to be counted. You can also return your absentee ballot in person to your county board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
STEPS TO REQUEST AND VOTE AN ABSENTEE BALLOT:
Once you provide all the required information on your application, print and sign it.
Mail the request form back to your county board of elections.
Wait to receive your ballot in the mail from your county board of elections. If you have questions about your absentee ballot request, you should call your county board of election, or you can track the status of your ballot request as well as your voted absentee ballot through the Voter Toolkit.
Return your voted ballot.
If you return your absentee ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than four days after the election. By state law, a postmark does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system such as a postage meter. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) estimates that it may take two to five days for your voted absentee ballot to be delivered to your board of elections by mail.
If you are returning your voted ballot by mail during the week before Election Day, you should take it to the post office no later than the day before Election Day and ensure it receives a postmark as follows:
If you use a postage label purchased at a USPS customer service window or vending machine, the date on the label is the postmark. This is the USPS-recommended way to postmark your ballot.
If you use postage stamps, ask that it be postmarked.
You should not use a postage meter or an online service (such as stamps.com) to affix postage. It is your responsibility to make sure the ballot has enough postage.
If you return your ballot to the board in person, or if a near relative delivers it for you, the board of elections must receive your ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
Near relative includes the voter’s spouse or the voter’s father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece.