Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose cautioned voters that Ohio law does not allow them to return their absentee ballots to their precincts on Election Day.
Those who elect to hold onto their paper ballots until November 8 must deliver them to their county board of elections office. According to LaRose, poll workers at precinct-level voting locations cannot accept them.
According to the Ohio Revised Code Section 3509.06, the board of elections shall determine whether absent voters’ ballots shall be processed and counted in each precinct, at the office of the board, or at some other location designated by the board. LaRose requires absentee ballots to be processed and counted at the board of elections for each county.
LaRose said that mailing an absentee ballot is the easiest way for voters who have requested one. To ease voter concerns about the U.S. Postal Service, his office has set up a tool to track mailed ballots online.
“Absentee voting has many benefits. You can vote early, it is convenient, it reduces the chance of lines at the polls on Election Day, and absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night,” LaRose said.
Secure ballot drop boxes will also be available at each of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections for those who wish to drop off their ballot. The county board of elections will accept absentee ballots in person until 7:30 p.m. on election night.
If a voter who previously requested an absentee ballot decides on Election Day that they would rather vote in person at their precinct, they can do so but will have to vote by provisional ballot.
LaRose encourages Ohioans to utilize reliable sources of information regarding absentee voting, such as his official website or the website for the county’s board of elections.
“With two weeks until Election Day, any eligible Ohio voter still planning to vote absentee should mail their request in as soon as possible. Our bipartisan county boards of elections are working hard to conduct the proper checks and get ballots mailed out as quickly as possible,” LaRose said.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is three days before Election Day. Absentee ballots, if mailed, must be postmarked by the day before the election to be counted
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Frank LaRose” by Frank LaRose. Background Photo “Ballots” by Lance Fisher. CC BY-SA 2.0.
