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Ohio voters can now register by mail or online

To make voting more convenient, online regstration is available

Photo by Michele Newbanks Washington County Board of Elections Director Mandy Amos straightens up voting materials at the board office Tuesday afternoon.

This election, Ohio is making it easier for people to get applications to vote.

“The state is going to mail applications to registered voters in Ohio,” Mandy Amos, director of the Washington County Board of Elections, said.

Applications will be mailed around the Labor Day weekend with an envelope to return the application.

The application from the state will be pre-filled with the voter’s name, address and county ID, which is used by the election board.

When it is returned to the election board, it must have the voter’s date of birth, signature and a form of ID, such as a driver’s license number or the last four digits of the Social Security number.

“If people don’t want to provide those as an ID, they can provide a bank statement or utility bill,” Amos said. “Something with their name and address on it.”

To register to vote, Ohio residents can visit the board of elections office at 204 Davis Ave., Marietta. Registration can also be done online at voteohio.gov, through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, at Washington County Public libraries or at Washington County Job and Family Services.

According to Secretary of State Frank LaRose, to register online, the voter will need their name, address, date of birth, last four digits of the Social Security number and an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card number.

Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote and the board office is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day.

On the ohiovote.gov site, residents can register to vote, change an address, learn about voting options or sign up to be a poll worker.

People can also call the election board at 740-374-6828 to be a poll worker. Amos said the poll workers get paid, as they work from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day.

If a voter doesn’t want to wait until the state sends out the applications, they can call the board office or go online to get one.

“Even if they turn one in, they will still get one in the mail,” Amos explained.

If the election board receives one from a voter, but the voter also sends in the one that was mailed from the state by mistake, the voter will only get one ballot.

“We keep record of people who request an application,” she said. “We’re required to do that.”

When applications are received, they are verified before the ballot is sent. Information on the application must match what is in the registration database.

“When the ballot comes in, it is verified again with the identification envelope to make sure the correct person votes,” Amos said.

In-person voting is still being planned, but that could change.

“As far as we know, we will still have polling places,” Amos said.

Oct. 6 is the first day the election board can mail ballots and they must be returned by noon Oct. 31 for the Nov. 3 election.

“They can send in their applications in any time, but we will hold them until Oct. 6 when we mail out the ballots,” she said. “That’s also the first day they can come in to (the board of election office) to vote.”

The election board office will be open regular hours the first two weeks in October, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The week of Oct. 19, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The week of Oct. 26, the last week before the election, the board office will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Monday before the election, Nov 2, the office hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.

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