Who, Where, How to Vote 3/2022

Who, Where, How to Vote 3/2022

 

 

Board of Elections Links  |   On Today's Ballot   |  Levies, Bonds & Mills

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important Numbers

 LWV ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE, multiple languages available
  • 866-OUR-VOTE = 866-687-8683

FRANKLIN COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

  • 1700 Morse Road, just east of Karl Road, 614-525-3100

SECRETARY OF STATE

  • 614-466-2585 (Elections Division)

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

  1. 614-837-1089 Columbus LWVMC
  2. 614-469-1505 LWVOhio

CHANNEL 10 

  • Phone bank 614-212-6949
  • Main liine  614-460-3700

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Rides to the polls: 

There are no organized rides to the polls this time. Callers can try calling their county political party for assistance: 

  • Franklin County Democrats: (614) 221-6563
  • Franklin County Republicans: (614) 224-3939

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Poll Hours

6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Anyone in line to vote at 7:30 p.m. is permitted to vote.

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Polling Place

In FranklinCounty, go to Board of Elections website

·                Click on the blue Polling Location 

·                Enter house number, street name, zip code, and hit search. (Spell out the street name. If the voter's street name is more than one word, enter the first word only.)

·                You can access polling place location, map, and sample ballot.

 Example:  200 E. 12th Street

House number: 200

Street: Twelfth (not E., not Street, not 12)

Voters may not vote in person at their countyBoard of Elections on election day; they must go to their proper polling location.

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Sample Ballot

  • Sample ballots can be found on Board of Elections web sites, once a polling location has been found. 

    In a primary election, there are separate ballots for each major party. There are also issues-only ballots. Voters may choose whichever ballot they prefer.

    Many Boards of Elections also have an "interactive" sample ballot, which allows people to mark their choices online and print out their choices. (Usually, the League's www.vote411.org also allows people to make selections on line and text or email themselves their choices, but it's not up-to-date in time for today's election. Neither of these casts an actual vote.  There is no on-line voting in Ohio. Link to Boards of Elections

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Voting Accessibility

Polling locations are required by law to be accessible to ensure equal access for people.  In Ohio, every polling location is required to have a voting machine that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. These machines include features like audio ballots, Braille touch pads, large print/zoom features, and height and tilt adjustments on the screens. When you arrive at your polling location, please let the poll workers know if you would like to use the ADA compliant voting machines.

Curbside voting allows a voter who is unable to access to polling location to vote a paper ballot from their vehicle.  The voter has the driver or another person go into the polling place and alert the poll workers that they need to vote curbside.  Two poll workers, one from each major party, will come out and work with the voter.

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Voting Assistance

 

Any voter may have help in voting, if they want it, from two poll workers of different parties OR from a person of the voter's choice, except their employer or the employer's agent, a labor union officer, or a candidate on the ballot.

If the voter's assistant/s physically touch the screen or the paper (i.e., they don't just talk to the voter) then the assistant/s must sign a form saying that they helped to the best of their ability and that they will not disclose how the voter voted.

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Verifying Registration 

 

  • On Franklin County Board of Elections site, click on On Franklin County Board of Elections site, click on View My Registration Info.
    • Enter first name, last name, house number, and birth year, and hit the login button.
    • If the person is registered at that address, their name will come up, and you can access a sample ballot and their polling place.

Note: The process differs on different counties' websites.  

FRANKLIN  |  Delaware  |  Fairfield  |  Licking  |  Madison  |  Pickaway  |  Union

Directory of all Boards of Elections

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I am not in the poll book, but I should be / improperly removed

Are you in the correct polling place?  If so, vote a provisional ballot today.  Tomorrow, contact the Board of Elections and talk to them about it.

The poll worker at the roster table will look up your current address to determine if you are in the right polling place.  If you are not, they will provide you with the address of the correct polling place. 

Go to your correct polling place and vote there.  A provisional ballot will not count if you're not in the right polling place.

(Anyone who wants to vote a provisional ballot must be permitted to do so.)

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ID

 

 

Acceptable IDs:

PHOTO IDS:

  • An Ohio driver’s license or state ID card. The card must be current (not expired), but it can have an old address.
  • The new temporary Ohio driver's license.
  • government ID with your name, current address, and photo (including a concealed carry ID).

NON-PHOTO IDS:

  • U.S. Military ID (photo and address not required).
  • An original or copy of one of the following current documents that shows your name and current address:  utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, pay stub, college/university document, government check, or other government document. The document must have a date within one year of Election Day to be accepted as current. This must be a paper bill; you can't just show a picture of it on your phone.
  • College documents: An ID that has the correct name and current address of the voter, as it appears in the poll book, and is no more than one year old. Other college documents may count as "government documents" if they come from a public college, whether or not in Ohio, such as letters, grade reports, transcripts, etc.
  • Ohio Hunting/Fishing License.
  • A speeding ticket.
  • If you do not have any of the above, you may use the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. You will have to vote a provisional ballot, but it will be counted so long as the number matches your voter registration.

NOT acceptable IDs:

  • Driver's license or photo ID issued by a state other than Ohio.
  • Social Security card (although the last 4 digits only can be used on provisional or absentee ballot)
  • Birth certificate
  • Passport, UNLESS it has your current address on it.
  • Any registration notice or document from the Board of Elections.

graphic showing acceptable IDs in Ohio

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Moved

 

 

 

Within Ohio:   Always vote at the polling place for your new/current address.  If you were registered in Ohio and moved, either within the county or to a different county, and if you re-registered at your new address by October 5, you vote a regular ballot at your new precinct.

If you moved within your same voting location (e.g., from one apartment to another within the same building) and your ID is good, vote a regular ballot but fill out a change of address form.

If you moved to a new precinct but did NOT re-register at your new address, you will vote a provisional ballot at your new precinct.  You will also be given a change of address form, so you'll be all set for next time.

This includes students at Ohio colleges who are registered to vote in Ohio.

If the student is registered but did not request an absentee ballot to vote at home, he or she can vote a provisional ballot at their new polling place and fill out a change of address form. This will change their permanent address to their address at school.  If the student moves next year, s/he will need to update their voter registration again.

  • College documents: An ID that has the correct name and current address of the voter, as it appears in the poll book, and is no more than one year old. Other college documents count as "government documents" if they come from a public college, whether or not in Ohio, such as letters, grade reports, transcripts, etc.

Moved from a different state?  You must have registered to vote in Ohio by the deadline (30 days prior to the election) to vote here.

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Changed Name

 

 

If you have changed your name, but forgot to update your voter registration, you can vote a regular ballot this time, but ONLY IF you bring in legal proof of your name change (such as a marriage license or court order), as well as another form of ID that shows your current address. The election official will help you fill out a "change of name" form, and you'll be all set for the next election.  If you don't bring legal documentation, you'll vote a provisional ballot.

If you also moved to a different address, see instructions above, under MOVED.  You will have to vote a provisional ballot, even if you moved within the same precinct, because you also changed your name.

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Absentee Voting

 

 

The deadline to have requested an absentee ballot was Saturday at noon.  If you already have applied for an absentee ballot, your voted ballot must be received by your Board of Elections before 7:30 tonight. It is too late to mail it. (Must be postmarked the day before the election.)

Take your ballot to your County board of Elections ballot drop box, NOT to a polling place.  The Franklin County Board of Elections is at 1700 Morse Road, just east of Karl Road.  This is where early voting has taken place for the last several years.  Before that, it was a Kohl's store.

If you requested an absentee ballot but did not receive it or did not return it, or if you asked for a ballot but decided that you want to vote in person, you may vote a provisional ballot at your polling place. It will be counted if the Board has not also received your voted absentee ballot.

DO NOT BRING YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT TO YOUR POLLING PLACE.

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Track mail-in ballot

You can track the progress of your absentee ballot.

On election day, use the Menu at the top to select My Registration.  Fill that out, click login, and the caller's absentee ballot tracking appears at the bottom of the page.

Note: The process differs on different counties' websites. In smaller counties, like Licking, look for a link like Absentee Information or Absentee Look-up in the colored bar at the top of the page.

FRANKLIN  |  Delaware  |  Fairfield  |  Licking  |  Madison  |  Pickaway  |  Union

Directory of all Boards of Elections

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Are absentee ballots really counted?

Yes. In Ohio they are the first ballots counted after the polls close at 7:30.  In fact, when you hear news reports with projections of the results soon after the polls close with "zero precincts reporting," it is the early and absentee ballots that are being reported. Absentee ballots that arrive within 10 days after Election Day (postmarked the day before the election) and authenticated provisional ballots are counted and included in the final vote tally that is announced 15 days after the election.

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Provisional Ballots

 

 

 

Provisional ballots are paper ballots a person may be required to use to vote – instead of getting to vote on the machines – if there is some question about the voter's identity.

The main reasons you'd have to vote provisionally are:

  • you don't have proper ID,
  • you haven't changed your address (but you're in the right polling place), or
  • you requested an absentee ballot but decided to vote at your polling place instead.

A provisional ballot has all the candidates and issues that you would vote if you were using the machines.  There is also identification information that the voter MUST fill out completely and sign. 

Once the Board of Elections processes the information provided, and it knows that you are registered and in the right polling place, the vote is counted.  This is one of the reasons why election results are not official until 15 days after an election.

If a provisional voter has no ID and refuses to add the last 4 digits of their SS number to the required paperwork, they have 7 days to bring a good ID to the Board of Elections. Otherwise their provisional ballot can not be counted.

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Track provisional ballots

Once the Board of Elections determines that the provisional voter is who they say they are and is voting in the correct polling place, the provisional ballot will be counted.

Provisional voters will be given a hotline number (866-644-6868) to find out whether their provisional ballot will be/has been counted. Voters have up to 7 days after the election to provide any additional information that may be needed to make their provisional vote count.

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Paper Ballots

 

Anybody who doesn't want to vote on the machines can request a paper regular ballot instead.  If the lines are too long, or if there is a problem with the machines, voters must be reminded that they can vote on paper ballots.

The difference between paper and provisional ballots is that paper ballots go directly into the secure box of voted ballots that get counted right away.  Provisional ballots are set aside until the voter's eligibility can be confirmed.

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Can I change my vote?

In Ohio, you cannot change your vote once it has been cast.

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Felons' Voting Rights

Felons can vote in Ohio, if they are no longer in prison and are registered to vote. An otherwise qualified person convicted of a felony may register and vote while on probation or parole or after completing his or her prison sentence.

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Jailed persons' voting rights

Many people mistakenly believe they lose their right to vote while they are detained in jail or while they are awaiting trial. Anyone who is a resident of Ohio, not detained for a felony conviction and otherwise meets usua; eligibility requirements can vote. This includes the thousands of Ohio residents currently detained in one of 72 county jails and who have not yet been convicted of a felony. Call the ACLU of Ohio for assistance: (216) 472-2200.

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Medical Emergency 

The voter must be hospitalized or have a minor child who is hospitalized.  The procedure is complicated: 

The voter fills out and signs a Hospitalized Absentee Ballot Request Form (available from hospital social workers or by calling the Board of Elections). The form must be received by the Board of Elections by 3 p.m. on Election Day.

The Board will send 2 poll workers (D and R) to the hospital to assist the voter. The poll workers deliver the voted ballots to the Board of Elections, where they will be counted, even if they arrive after the polls have closed. Or the voter can ask the Board to give your unmarked ballot to a designated family member who will deliver it to the voter in the hospital and return it to the Board of Elections.

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Can I register to vote on line?

It's too late to register to vote in today's election.  But, yes, you can register online on the Ohio Secretary of State's website: https://olvr.sos.state.oh.us/

You may vote in the next election so long as you register not less than 30 days prior to that election. 

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Can I take a picture of my ballot?

No. It's against the law to take a picture of your ballot. This is to ward against someone intimidating/paying a voter to vote a certain way and demanding proof of that vote.  

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Hats, T-shirts, masks

Do not wear/carry any campaign attire, such as t-shirts, hats, buttons, or printed matter.  You will be asked to remove or cover them, because such attire counts as electioneering.  Electioneering is not allowed within 100 feet of a polling place (and certainly not inside the polling place).

Do wear a mask. If you do not have one, a mask will be supplied for you.

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What is the No Campaigning area? What are the flags for?

 

 

No electioneering/campaigning is allowed within 100 feet of the voting location. Flags are typically placed outside the voting location at the 100-foot mark. Electioneering includes distributing campaign literature and wearing/displaying political t-shirts, hats, buttons. It also includes discussions of a political nature in the polling location.

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Who is allowed to "observe"?

 

 

Official observers (those allowed inside the polling places) must be registered Ohio voters and certified by a party and must take an oath agreeing to abide by the rules.

State rules bar “impeding, interfering with, or disrupting the election in some manner” or “intimidating, harassing, or attempting to influence voters or precinct election officials.”

The regulations stress: “Observers may not serve as enforcers of the laws nor act as advocates for voters before the precinct election officials.”

Observers may not challenge a person's right to vote. A voter may be challenged only by a precinct election official or the voting location manager and only for certain reasons. Challenges are extremely rare.

Voting-age adults are not permitted in the polling place unless they are there to vote or assist a voter, are election officials/poll workers, are temporarily in the polling place to check the posted "register of voters" list, or are official election observers. 

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Someone was acting inappropriately or trying to intimidate

1) Speak to the poll worker called the Voting Location Manager or Presiding Judge

2) Call your county sheriff

3) Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683), the non-partisan voter protection hotline sponsored by LWV and more.

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How do I know Ohio's election is secure?

Ohio’s election system has many layers of protection, so voters can be confident of a fair and accurate election.

  • Paper trail: Ohio law requires that every ballot must have a paper record that can be hand-counted and audited. All votes are cast either on (1) a paper ballot that can be scanned and later audited, or (2) a touch-screen machine with a visible paper record that the voter can check for accuracy and that can be hand-counted during an audit. None of the voting machines is connected to the internet.
  • Names rotate on ballots: Ohio law requires candidate names to rotate position on the ballot with each precinct. That means the name on the top varies from precinct to precinct.
  • Written Election Administration Plans: Every county Board of Elections is required to prepare in advance a written Election Administration Plan that documents how they will handle all aspects of the election and which is subject to public scrutiny and feedback.
  • Require bipartisan teamwork: All aspects of Ohio election administration are conducted by Republicans and Democrats working together in equal numbers to ensure one does not have an advantage over the other:
    • Polling places must be staffed by an equal number of Democratic and Republican poll workers.
    • At the end of Election Day, a bipartisan team of poll workers must count how many ballots were cast for each candidate at their polling location, sign the tally and post it outside the polling location where the public can see it.
    • Then a bipartisan team of poll workers delivers ballots back to the Board of Elections to be counted.
    • Once ballots have been counted on election night, they are locked up in a room with two locks until the final count 15 days after Election Day. One key is kept by the BOE director and the other by the deputy director, who must be of different parties.
  • Mandatory post-election audit: Ohio conducts a post-election audit, in which randomly chosen races are subject to a statewide recount of ballots by hand, to ensure that the hand-count matches the reported official results.
  • Recount rules: In addition to the mandatory post-election audit, Ohio law also provides for a mandatory recount in extremely close elections where a local candidate wins by one-half of a percent or a statewide candidate wins by one-fourth of a percent, as well as a discretionary recount if requested and paid for by the losing party.
  • If you see a problem, report it! We don’t expect voters to encounter problems, but, if you do, report it right away. Call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE, and also report it to a poll worker or your Board of Elections.

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When will we know results?

The results of elections in Ohio are not certified as official until 15 days after the election.

For local and statewide candidates and issues, unless the race is very tight, the Boards of Elections will have a good idea of the winner by the end of election night (no earlier than when the polls are closed) or the next day.

In Ohio, very close races (i.e., a difference of less than .5% of ballots cast between to candidates) are subject to an automatic recount.

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