CLEVELAND — County board of elections across the state have received more the 1,000,579 absentee ballot applications, according to an update from Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Wednesday.
The number includes 14, 253 requests from military and overseas votes whose absentee ballots will be mailed beginning Sept. 18. The state says all other ballots will be mailed on Oct. 6.
With Election Day 55 days away, the number of ballot requests have already surpassed the number of applications received at the same time in 2016. Ohio didn’t break the 1 million threshold until 28 days before Election Day in 2016.
"While we’re making sure voters will be able to safely vote in-person, this incredible demand for absentee voting speaks to the confidence Ohioans have in the system,” said LaRose said in a statement. “It’s strong. It’s secure. And our county boards of elections are prepared.”
Voters should consider these best practices when they choose the absentee ballot option:
- Fill in the information properly. Review the form to ensure you have filled it out properly, including writing your date of birth where required, not the day’s date, as well as signing your request form.
- Include your e-mail and/or phone number. For the first time in a general election, county board of elections will be calling or e-mailing voters who may need to remedy information on their ballot request form or absentee ballot envelope. Including your information will ensure you can be reached if your ballot request doesn’t have everything filled out properly.
- Don’t wait. To accommodate necessary processing time at the county board of elections and the time required for the United States Postal Service to deliver elections mail, voters should not procrastinate – fill out and mail your absentee ballot request as soon as possible. Note that, by law, ballots are not sent out (other than for overseas voters) until Oct. 6th.
- Double check your return envelope. Before you submit your ballot request form, make sure the envelope is addressed to your county board of elections.
- Track your ballot. Once their ballot request is received by their county board of elections, voters may track their ballot at VoteOhio.gov/Track. As long as your ballot is postmarked by the day before the election and received within 10 days after the election at your county board of elections, your vote will be tabulated.
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