Early in-person, absentee voting begins on Ohio Issue One
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Early in-person voting and mail-in absentee voting will begin on Tuesday for Ohio's August special election. The election will decide the fate of Issue One, the only statewide issue on the ballot. If passed, Issue One would increase the percentage of votes required to make changes in the state constitution from 50% to 60%.
Supporters of reproductive rights in the state have criticized Issue One, viewing it as a political maneuver to make it harder to gain approval for a constitutional amendment ensuring abortion access. The amendment is planned for the November ballot.
Last week, Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights submitted over 700,000 signatures on petitions for Issue One. To place the issue before voters this fall, at least 413,446 signatures must be validated by the Ohio Secretary of State's Office.
Early in-person voting will be available at local election boards on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting on Tuesday, July 11, and ending on Friday, July 28. On Monday, July 31, voting will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The following are the locations for early in-person voting:
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Trumbull County Board of Elections 2947 Youngstown Rd., SE, Warren, OH 44484
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Mahoning County Board of Elections 345 Oak Hill Ave. Entrance A, Youngstown, OH 44502
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Columbiana County Board of Elections 7989 Dickey Dr., Suite 3, Lisbon, OH 44432
For the month of August, early in-person voting hours will be as follows:
- Tuesday, August 1: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, August 2 to Friday, August 4: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, August 5: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday, August 6: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, August 8 (Election Day): 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mail-in absentee voting will begin on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday, August 7, and received by local election boards no later than Saturday, August 12.
To obtain an absentee ballot, voters must use the application form prescribed by the Secretary of State (Form 11-A) or provided by their county board of elections. The application can be downloaded online at the following link: [URL]
Voters should send their request to their county board of elections using the provided mailing addresses. Ohio voters with up-to-date registration can vote in any election by requesting an absentee ballot. They need to complete and return the application to receive their ballot by mail. After making their selections, they must return their voted ballot to the board of elections before the close of the polls at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is seven days before the desired election. If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election to be counted. Alternatively, voters can return their absentee ballot in person to their county board of elections.
Here are the steps to request and vote by absentee ballot:
- Provide all the required information on the application.
- Print and sign the application.
- Mail the request form to the county board of elections.
- Wait to receive the ballot in the mail from the county board of elections. For any inquiries about the absentee ballot request, voters should call their county board of election or use the Voter Toolkit to track the status of their ballot request and their voted absentee ballot.
- Return the voted ballot.
If returning the absentee ballot by mail, it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by the county board of elections within four days after the election. A postmark does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system like a postage meter. The U.S. Postal Service estimates a delivery time of two to five days for voted absentee ballots sent by mail.
If mailing the voted ballot during the week before Election Day, voters should take it to the post office no later than the day before Election Day to ensure it receives a postmark. Using a postage label purchased at a USPS customer service window or vending machine is the recommended way to postmark the ballot. If using postage stamps, voters should ask for a postmark and ensure the ballot has sufficient postage.
Voters can also return their ballot in person to the board of elections or have a near relative deliver it. The board of elections must receive the ballot no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
A near relative includes the voter's spouse, father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister (whole or half blood), son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece.
