Ohio 2020 Elections Cycle

March 17, 2020

Are you ready to vote in 2020? Your vote is your voice… and your voice matters. To vote, you first must register to vote. Get ready to cast your ballot and make your voice heard. Links are available to check your registration, where you vote and other valuable information!

Election Day, Voter Registration Deadlines, Early/Absentee/Ballot By Mail and Early Voting hours for the 2020 election cycle. Additional special elections may be scheduled. Are you interested in voting from the comfort of your home?  Please contact your local county board of elections for any specific elections information.

ARE YOU READY TO VOTE IN 2020?

Check out: www.IWill Vote.com

Ohio Voter Eligibility and Residency Requirements
NOTE:
17 year olds may register to vote 30 days prior to an election.
If you will be 18 on or before the March 17, 2020, Primary Election Day,
you may vote in the Primary Election and the November 3, 2020, General Election.

Voter Registration (Online)
Voter Registration Form (PDF)

Vote From Abroad

Am I registered to vote?
Am I registered at the right address?
Update Your Ohio Voting Address (Online)
Am I registered under my correct name?
Where do I vote?
What do I need to bring with me to vote?

Ex-Offenders – Find a New Direction: Reclaim Your Right to Vote

2020 ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS

Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Applications for absentee ballots for
2020 elections may be accepted (first day of the year)
To receive your ballot by mail, please print absentee ballot request form.
Then mail or drop off your request form to your local county board of elections office.

2020 VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES
2020 ELECTIONS

Voter Registration Deadline for Tuesday, June 2, 2020 Primary Election:
Thursday, February 18, 2020 | Local County Board of Elections

Voter Registration Deadline for Tuesday, August 4, 2020 Special Election:
(NOTE: Please check with your local county board of elections if Special Election will be held.)
Monday, July 6, 2020 | Local County Board of Elections | 8:00am–9:00pm

Voter Registration Deadline for Tuesday, November 3, 2020 General Election:
Monday, October 5, 2020 | Local County Board of Elections open 8:00am–9:00pm

**SUSPENDED** Primary Election Day
Tuesday, March 17, 2020  

Secretary of State – Directive 2020-6

**NEW** PRIMARY ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Deadline for Voter Registration for Primary Election:
Tuesday, February 18, 2020 remains the voter registration deadline

Early/Absentee Voting 

There will be NO In-person Early/Absentee Voting

Absentee/Early Ballot

If you have already voted early or voted by mail and returned your
ballot back to your local county board of elections,
your ballot will count for the
**new** Primary Election – Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

To vote Absentee/Early for the
**new** Primary Election – Tuesday, June 2, 2020,
you MUST request an Absentee/Early Ballot
by completing the Absentee Ballot Application.
Your application must be mailed to your local county board of elections.
To print out the application, please visit here.
You may call your local county board of elections to have
an application mailed to you and additional details.

If you still have your ballot that was mailed to you and
after Tuesday, March 17, 2020,
Absentee/Early Ballots MUST be mailed, postmarked and
returned by U.S. Postal Service only to your
local county board of elections
no later than Monday, June 1, 2020, 
and received by your local county board of elections
no later than Friday, June 12, 2020.
Please call your local county board of elections for additional details.
NOTE: It is recommended that you take your ballot envelope
into the Post Office to have the clerk manually postmark the envelope.
If the envelope is not properly postmarked or
have the correct amount of postage on the envelope,
your ballot will not be counted.

Did you request, vote and mail your Absentee/Early Ballot back
to your local county board of elections?
Check your ballot status with your local county board of elections.
REMEMBER:
You must mail your ballot back to your local county board of elections.
See mailing instructions above.

In-Person Voting on
Primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, 2020

In-person voting will take place on Primary Election Day only
at voters polling locations within your county.
Polls will open at 6:30am and close at 7:30pm.
NOTE: Please confirm your voting site by visiting:
I WILL VOTE
or contact your local county board of elections.

Are you interested in being a Precinct Election Official?
Please visit here for more information
or call your local county board of elections.

With the above process issued by the
Secretary of State’s Directive 2020-6,
legal action is continuing.
For additional information:
Coronavirus: Ohio Supreme Court allows delay to primary election
Columbus Dispatch

ALERT:  PURGING OF VOTERS

Even though it is your right to decide when you want to vote,
more than 1.7 million Ohio voters were removed from voter registration files
by local county boards of elections because of inactivity.
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted purged voters because they chose not to vote.
Were you one of the 1.7 million purged?

To check your voter registration before the next election,
visit your local county board of elections or I Will Vote.

If you arrive at your polling place and cannot be found in the poll book,
thanks to an ACLU of Ohio court victory, you may cast a provisional ballot.
Respectfully, but firmly, insist on your right to a provisional ballot.
If any problems should arise, please call your  local county board of elections immediately.

If you are unable to vote in person because you have a documented disability
that prevents you from appearing at the polls,
call your local county board of elections
right away to request help casting your provisional ballot.

Vote in the comfort of your home?
Request your ballot by mail!
You can do so now!

As of January 1 of every year, all Ohio voters have the opportunity to vote in every election from the convenience of their own homes by requesting an absentee ballot. You MUST request your ballot for, complete and submit a separate application for each election in which you want to vote. Your request must be received by your local county board of elections by noon the third day before the election (usually a Saturday). However, you should submit your request as far in advance of the election as possible to ensure there is sufficient time for the board to mail you a ballot and for you to timely return that ballot.

Steps to request and vote an absentee ballot:

  1. Complete the absentee ballot request form.
  2. Once you have completed your application by providing all of the required information print and sign it.
  3. Mail the request form back to your own county board of elections.
  4. 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 local county board of elections.
  5. Return your voted ballot. You can send it by U.S. Mail or deliver it in person to your county board of elections, but the return envelope containing your marked ballot must either be received by your local county board of elections prior to the close of the polls on Election Day, or postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by your local county board of elections no later than seven (7) days after the election.

Note:   Make sure your ballot is counted!

No voted ballot may be returned to a board of elections by fax or e-mail. No voted ballot may be returned to a voting precinct on Election.  If a voted ballot is returned by fax or e-mail or returned to a voting precinct on Election Day, it will not be accepted, processed, or counted.

If you mail your ballot back to your board of elections, take your ballot envelope into your local post office, hand it to the postal clerk and ask to have it postmarked.

NOTE: You can check to ensure your ballot was received and will be counted by your local county board of elections. If any questions about your ballot, please contact your local county board of elections.

Early/In-Person Voting

In Ohio, voters have many options to vote. Starting the day after the close of voter registration, all registered voters may request and vote an absentee ballot in person at their local county board of elections. Hours for early voting are posted above.

Other Absentee Ballot Forms:

Top 10 reasons to vote

10. It’s your right, not a privilege.
Someone paid the price for your right to vote. Use it.

9. It’s your community.
Your neighbors, family, friends are depending on you.

8. It’s your life.
Even if politics seem far away from you, it affects your daily life –
(i.e. local/state taxes, school levies).

7. It’s your education.
From school funding to college grants to job training,
state and federal governments make budget decisions
that have a direct impact on your ability to learn and earn.

6. It’s your body.
From policy to reproductive rights,
the wrong government policies can literally cost you your life.

5. It’s your job.
A raise in the minimum wage, pay equity,
and the right to a union are all being decided now.

4. It’s your environment.
You can vote to invest
in transportation and sustainable energy for our planet.

3. It’s your retirement.
Help make sure that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
and pension plans will be there for you.

2. It’s your voice.
Collective action starts with voting.
Politicians listen to demands from communities with high voter turnout.

1. Your one vote can make a difference.
75 Ohio races have tied or been decided by a one-vote margin
over the past two years.
One mayoral race, two city council races, one road levy
and a local bond issue made up the closest races
in the May 2015 Primary and Special Election.
One race, in North Ridgeville, Ohio, had to be decided
by the Lorain County Board of Elections with a coin flip.
Republicans want you to stay home
as they continue their attempt to keep people from voting.
Read several articles below on voter suppression:
Voter Suppression During the 2018 Mid-Term Elections | Center for American Progress
Voter Suppression is the New Old Normal | The Atlantic
New Voting Restrictions in America | Brennan Center For Justice
Voter Suppression is a Looming Threat in 2020 Elections | Rewire.news


Any questions about:

when elections are scheduled
filing as a candidate
filing deadlines
campaign finance report
issues
voting location
registration
updating name/address
other election related topics
please contact your local county board of elections.