However, the two state issues, which are controversial in the Buckeye State, is expected to see voter turnout rather high. As people head to the polls on Election Day this Tuesday, here are 10 things to keep in mind.
State Issue 1
Issue 1 asks voters if the right to make reproductive decisions, including abortion, should be codified in the Ohio constitution.
A “yes” vote means you support amending the state constitution stating a person has the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to” decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care and continuing pregnancy.
An affirmative vote also allows the state to restrict abortion after “fetal viability,” except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.”
A “no” vote opposes amending the state constitution and not establishing the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
State Issue 2
The marijuana legalization initiative has been overshadowed by State Issue 1, but the issue is simple: Either you want marijuana to be legal in Ohio or you do not.
A “yes” vote would allow the sale and purchase of marijuana and create a Division of Cannabis Control that would regulate it. This would allow adults 21 years and older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and it will establish a 10% tax on pot sales.
A “no” vote says marijuana should be illegal outside of medical marijuana.
Though many states have decriminalized the possession and use of marijuana, it still remains illegal at the federal level.
Election Day Voting
Voters are asked to bring a photo ID to their polling locations. Those with no ID must vote through a provisional ballot and go to the elections office in the days after the election to show proof of identity. Because of Veterans Day being the Saturday after the election, voters will have until Monday, Nov. 13, to “cure” their ballots, which is to rectify any anomalies or irregularities.
If the identification is expired, they will need to cast a provisional ballot, too.
Early voting
In-person early voting ended Sunday at the Butler County Board of Elections.
This is the first year voters cannot vote early in person at the elections office on the Monday prior to Election Day.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Vote-by-mail ballots
Voters who have requested vote-by-mail absentee ballots have until Monday, Nov. 6, to mail them back to the elections office. Election officials suggest voters ask the post office to place a postmark on the envelope. If vote-by-mail ballots are dated after Nov. 6 this year, they will be deemed late and not be accepted.
Voters do have the option to hand-deliver their vote-by-mail ballots to the elections office until 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 7. Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be accepted at polling locations.
Additionally, anyone who requested a vote-by-mail ballot but decides to vote at their polling location on Election Day will need to cast a provisional ballot. This is to ensure that a vote-by-mail ballot was cast.
Electric and gas aggregation
There are several communities around Butler County asking voters to support initiatives that establish either a natural gas aggregation or electric aggregation. Some communities are asking voters to back both.
Aggregation measures are meant to allow Ohio consumers to choose their electricity generation suppliers — where their energy comes from. Under aggregation, a community entity negotiates with suppliers on behalf of eligible households, nonprofits, and small businesses to save money on bills by grouping them together.
Not all residents, however, would be eligible for aggregation.
Residents who are currently with another alternate supplier and those who enrolled in a program like the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) are not eligible.
Gas and electric aggregation has been an option for municipalities, townships, and counties for about a decade when the Ohio Legislature codified the ability.
Hamilton local option
Hamilton voters will be asked two questions related to businesses in two certain areas of the city about a future local option for Sunday alcohol sales. If approved, this would allow the businesses within Hamilton’s two Community Entertainment Districts (CEDs), which are on either side of B Street, to bypass the signature-collection process when seeking a Sunday sales local option on the ballot.
This would not bypass the legal requirement that voters must still approve a request to sell liquor on Sundays, and establishments with an existing liquor license (D1 or D5) would still be required to file paperwork with the Butler County elections office to get the issue on a future ballot. They just won’t need voter signatures.
While this impacts two designated areas in the city, the two issues will be on every Hamilton city ballot.
Ross police levy
Ross Twp. is asking voters to support their two police levies, or trustees say they will be forced to have the Butler County Sheriff’s Office handle protection in the township.
Ross Twp. voters will see two tax questions on the ballot — a 3.75-mill renewal that won’t raise taxes and an additional 1.5 mills that would cost roughly $52 per $100,000.
The existing levy collects about $800,000 annually, and the police budget runs $900,000 to $1 million. The additional levy would collect an estimated $361,053 annually.
Middletown changes
There will be three new faces on the five-member Middletown City Council come January.
Mayor Nicole Condrey, elected four years ago, decided not to seek re-election, as did two council members, Tal Moon and Monica Thomas.
The three new candidates will serve with current council members, who are up for re-election in two years, Zack Ferrell and Rodney Muterspaw. And depending on who is elected, there’s a possibility that Middletown’s governing body could have just four years of total council experience.
Joe Mulligan and Elizabeth Slamka are the two mayoral candidates on the Nov. 7 ballot.
There are six people seeking to be elected to the other two spots on council. Candidates Jennifer Burg-Carter, Clayton Castle, John Ferrando, Jeffrey Wellbaum, Steven West II and write-in candidate Kristi Asbury are seeking the spots. Asbury’s name will not appear on the ballot as voters must write her name on their ballot if they choose to elect her.
Reporting results
Election Day voting is from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the polling locations across Butler County. Those who are in line when the polls close will be allowed to cast their vote.
When polls close, the Butler County Board of Elections will begin reporting results with early voting totals. This year, those votes are supposed to be posted on the board’s website by 7:45 p.m. Election results will be updated every half-hour until all precincts are reporting.
There are some precincts that are quite a distance away from the elections office, so some of the races and issue questions won’t have total unofficial results until later in the evening.
More online
The Journal-News has previewed several of the candidates races in previous editions. To read those again, visit journal-news.com. To see comments from candidates who answered Voter Guide questions, go to journal-news.com/voter-guide.
Coming this week
The Journal-News staff will publish content to journal-news.com on election night and unofficial results will be live there. Coverage of the election will be in the Thursday print edition.
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