(File photo) Washington County voters complete their ballots on Election Day 2025 at the Washington County Fairgrounds.

Early voting starts Tuesday

Monday is the final day to register to vote in Ohio’s primary election, with early voting set to commence Tuesday.

The election, in which parties will select their nominees for various state and local positions and some local levies will be decided, is slated for Tuesday, May 5.

Residents can go to the Washington County Board of Elections website, www.boe.ohio.gov/washington, to see if they’re registered – and if their information is up to date.

“If they need to update their address – so if they’ve moved or if they’ve changed their name – they need to do that by Monday,” said Mandy Amos, director of the board.

If a voter shows up to the polls on Election Day and their address hasn’t been updated, they can still fill out a ballot, which will be given provisional status, she said. The Board of Elections will review provisional ballots in the canvass to determine if they can be counted.

Amos said the board will make sure the individual didn’t vote in two different precincts.

“As long as the person hasn’t, and they provided all of the correct information … then there’s no reason for them not to” count the ballot, she said.

People can register to vote online through the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, voteohio.gov, or in person at the Board of Elections office, 204 Davis Ave., Marietta, or the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles office. When registering in person, they will need either their driver’s license or other state-issued ID or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Online registration asks for both, Amos said.

The board’s office will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday for people who still need to register or update their registration.

Starting Tuesday, the board office will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays for early, in-person voting. Those hours expand to 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 27 to May 1, with an additional hour, until 8:30 p.m., April 28.

Early, in-person voting will also be offered 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 3.

Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, May 5.

People can also print an absentee ballot application at the board’s website.

Amos reminded voters of a change in state law requiring that absentee ballots be received at the Board of Elections office by the time the polls close on Election Day. Previously, they could be postmarked by the day before Election Day and received up to four days after.

“They either need to mail them in sooner or bring them in to our office by 7:30 p.m. Election Night,” Amos said. “We want to make sure people get their votes in.”

West Virginia’s primary election is on May 12. Mountain State residents have a little more time to register, with the last day on April 21. Various county and state positions will be on the ballot, along with party executive committee seats and the county library and Mid-Ohio Valley Transit Authority levies.

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales said early voting starts April 29 at the Judge Black Annex in downtown Parkersburg. Four community early voting sites will open a week later.

Poll worker training is scheduled for April 14 and 16 at the Wood County Resiliency Center. Gonzales said the county has all 307 poll workers they need signed up, but alternates are still welcome. People can call 304-424-1860 if interested in serving as an alternate poll worker.