Monday, July 10 is the last day to register in time to vote on Issue 1 in the Aug. 8 Special Election; voters will decide whether to raise the threshold to amend the Ohio Constitution to a 60% vote from the current 50% plus one vote simple majority.
Workers at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections spent their Monday going over new equipment ahead of Tuesday's start of early voting. What can they expect? Good question.
"We live off of comparable data and analytics. There is no comparable election for us to do that with,” said BOE Director Anthony Perlattii
There was last August's special legislative election but that was a candidate election with a lot of uncontested races which kept turnout low. This is a single hot button question and Perlatti believes it will drive up turnout. How much? Again good question.
"I've been saying for some time somewhere between 10 percent and 50 percent which is a range that we don't like to operate in because it's much larger than what we want to."
First things first though if you even want to have a say on this matter and aren't currently registered to vote you only have until 9 p.m. Monday to do so. The beauty in Ohio is that you can do it online if you're up against it. Simply go to voteohio.gov. And you'll be walked through the process. Just know if you do it online you'll need two forms of ID which is different than filling out the paper form.
"So to use the online system you have to have a valid drivers license or state ID and you have to put the last four of your social security number,” Perlatti said.
This election is the first county wide election since House Bill 458 went into effect. That made changes to acceptable ID for voters at the polls. So a valid drivers license or state ID is still the best way to sign in but for the first time a passport will be accepted as a form of ID. No longer accepted? A utility bill or bank statement with your address.
So far about 3 percent of voters in Cuyahoga County have requested a vote by mail ballot. The BOE wants you to know you need to fill out all of the required areas on the form. One of the biggest mistakes they continue to see is when it comes to your birth date. Even though it says on their do not write today's date people continue to do so.
Click here for more information on registering to vote and to check your registration status.
Early in-person and by-mail voting for the special election will begin on Tuesday, July 11. Voters can request absentee ballots from the Secretary of State’s website or from their county board of elections.
News 5 Statehouse Reporter Morgan Trau recently answered viewer questions about Issue 1, and the amendment to the constitution to legalize abortion in Ohio, which is expected to be on the General Election ballot in November.
A recent poll conducted by Scripps News and YouGov found that Ohio voters are at a nearly even split between supporting and opposing Issue 1, with 26% of those polled unsure.
When asked about a constitutional amendment to grant protections to Ohioans to make their own decisions on issues like abortion, contraception, and fertility, 58% of those polled supported it, and 23% were against it.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
