Issues 1 and 2 — statewide issues related to abortion and adult-use marijuana legalization, respectively — have attracted the most attention.
Returning absentee ballots
The postmark deadline for mailed-in absentee ballots was Monday.
Voters who did not mail their ballots on Monday have until 7:30 p.m. on Election Day to turn in their ballots to their local election boards or drop off their ballots in their county’s drop box.
If a voter did not receive an absentee ballot after mailing or dropping off a ballot request form before the Oct. 31 deadline, call the election board office for next steps. Voters will likely be asked to cast a provisional ballot at their polling location.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Find your polling location
Registered voters are assigned a polling location based on the precinct they reside in.
Voters can look up their polling location address online at either the Ohio Secretary of State’s or their local election board website. Voters can also call their local election board office for more information regarding polling locations.
Bring the right ID
Ohio voting law that went into effect this spring requires voters to present a state-issued photo ID when voting in-person. This can include a military ID card, a passport, an Ohio driver’s license or an Ohio state ID. State ID cards are free to all Ohioans who are 17 years old or older.
Voters cannot use an expired ID card.
Voters who lack a valid photo ID can still vote provisionally on Election Day, but they will need to prove their identity to their local election board by presenting a valid ID within four days of the election. For this election, that date is Nov. 13 due to the Veterans Day holiday.
Two state issues
All Ohio ballots will feature two statewide issues, as well as local levies and contested races.
Issue 1 is a citizen-initiated amendment that would, among other things, grant all “individuals” the right of reproductive autonomy. Issue 1 would also block the state from interfering with any reproductive decisions or penalizing Ohioans for making or aiding those decisions. A “yes” vote is in approval of the initiative, while a “no” vote is in rejection of the initiative. Read more about Issue 1 here.
Issue 2 would legalize recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years old or older, legalize home cultivation of a limited amount of marijuana plants and regulate the recreational industry. A “yes” vote is in approval of the initiative, while a “no” vote is in rejection of the initiative. Learn more about the issue here.
Local races
Voters can find out what local issues and candidates will appear on their ballot by visiting the Ohio Secretary of State’s website and pulling up their sample ballot.
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.
Visit our website on election night for the latest election results.
Disabilities and voting
In Ohio, every polling location is required to be accessible for people with disabilities. Polling locations are required to have accessible voting equipment available, setup and ready for voters to mark their ballot with privacy.
But voters who cannot enter their polling locations due to their disabilities have a right to curbside voting, according to Disability Rights Ohio, an advocacy group.
A voter with a disability may send another person into the polling location to inform poll workers of the voter’s desire to vote curbside. Two poll workers from opposite major political parties will bring out a ballot, and voters will have the option to sit in their vehicle to vote or vote at the door of the polling location, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.
Disability Rights Ohio operates a hotline on Election Day to help voters with disabilities who have questions or experience issues with voting. The hotline can be reached at 614-466-7264 or 800-292-9181 during open polling hours.
Election Day concerns
Other contacts for voting assistance also exist. Voters with questions or concerns about their polling locations or any other voting-related matter should contact their local election board.
Voters also can reach out to the nonpartisan Election Protection voter hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.
Our newsroom also wants to hear from voters if they experience issues. The newsroom can be reached at 937-610-7502.