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Believe it or not, there is another election coming our way in Ohio this fall -- a general election Nov. 4, to be exact. And while November may seem far away, deadlines related to that election are coming up quickly.
For example, the deadline for petitions to be placed on ballots is Aug. 6. Those signatures collected by people running for elected office take time to acquire.
"If they want to run for those offices then they go to the elections office here in Washington County and turn in their collected signatures which are then reviewed by board members," said Mandy Amos, director of the Washington County Board of Elections.
The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 6. That's a bit further away, sure. But why wait? It is important to be certain you are able to vote in races such as township trustees, boards of education, village and city councils and other important LOCAL positions.
The people elected in November will be making decisions that have a far more immediate impact on our daily lives than what happens in Columbus or Washington, D.C. Likewise, the levies that will be that ballot -- on matters such as our libraries or senior services, for example -- will affect us all.
Do not let those decisions be made by a tiny fraction of the potential voting population.
If you are thinking of running for elected office, get your signatures turn in your petitions. You've got a little more than three weeks. If you just want to be sure your voice is heard on general election day, check your registration (or register to begin with) now.
Once those deadlines pass, it's full steam ahead to November, with or without you.