It’s been just weeks since the last election, but early voting for the next one is soon underway.
Ohioans can begin early voting by mail or in person at their county’s early vote center. When you go vote, you will need to take proper identification. Options include:
- Ohio driver's license
- State of Ohio ID card
- Interim ID form issued by Ohio BMV
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Passport card
- Military ID card
- Ohio National Guard ID card
- U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs ID card
Unlike in past years, utility bills cannot be used for voting purposes. And while you don't have to produce a valid ID with an address that matches the one in the poll book, you will need to have one that contains your picture and it will need to match your name as it appears in the poll book. Your address on the poll book must be correct.
What is on the ballot?
There will be plenty to vote on this fall. Issue 1 is a proposed amendment that would enshrine abortion rights into the Ohio Constitution. Issue 2 would legalize marijuana use and sales for Ohioans 21 and older. And while there aren’t any statewide candidates on the ballot, there are candidates for local offices and school boards as well as local levies.
If it seems like Ohio just finished an election, it is because there was an August statewide contest with one single issue on the ballot. The question about whether to change the constitution to require a 60% threshold for future constitutional amendments failed. More than 38% of registered voters in Ohio turned out to cast ballots on that measure that 57% of voters rejected. Had it passed, it would have required the reproductive and abortion rights amendment get at least 60% approval.
Interest in the previous Issue 1 was high because of its potential impact on Nov. 7's Issue 1. That election is also expected to draw a good turnout.