Education
Here in Ohio, early voting starts on October 8th, two weeks from yesterday. When I was a High School Government teacher, I helped register my seniors who were eligible to vote. I don’t know if current teachers do that; politics in the classroom seems to be the “third rail” of education. I didn’t do it for any partisan reasons. My kids didn’t know my own politics, and frankly, most of them likely voted against the folks I supported. But that didn’t matter. I was a Government teacher, and voting is the single, critical act that every citizen can take to participate in their government. It not only made sense to get them registered, it was a duty.
It’s been eighteen years since I was in that classroom (the building I taught in isn’t even a high school anymore). I’ve “revealed” my political leanings since I retired; if you’re reading this essay you probably know all about that. But voting is still a civic duty, even if we don’t agree on who to vote for. To paraphrase French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire: “I may not agree with who you vote for, but I will defend to the death your right to do so”.
Ohio Residents
Most of this applies to Ohio residents (and particularly in Licking County), and different states have differing rules. If you’re outside of Ohio, check with your state Secretary of State (the election folks) or your local Board of Elections. Here’s the link to every state’s Secretary of State. (Note – Hawaii is a little different, of course – so here’s their link).
Step one: register to vote. October 7th is the LAST day to register in Ohio. Local Licking County folks can do so at the Board of Elections in Newark; or at the Driver’s License Bureau on Township Road, or the Pataskala Library on Vine Street, both in Pataskala. And, since it’s the 21st Century, here’s the Ohio Secretary of State’s online registration site.
Not sure if you’re registered in Ohio (or still registered, or at the correct address)? Here’s the link to check all of that: Voter Information Search.
The next day, October 8th, you can vote early if you want to. You go to your county board of elections, here in Licking County it’s in Newark, and cast your ballot, just like you would do on election day. There are twenty-three days to vote in October and early November. Here’s the link for Licking County’s schedule.
Full Monty
And finally, if you want to get the “full Monty” of elections, you can vote at your regular polling place on Election Day, on November 5th. Where is your polling place? Go back up to the Voter Information Search. You can find your polling place, request an absentee ballot to be sent to your address, and see your voting history back to 2010. (No, you can’t see who you voted for. You can see that you did vote, and if it was in a primary election, which ballot you asked for; Democrat, Republican, or Non-Partisan.)
If you get an absentee ballot, make sure you carefully fill out all the requirements, on the ballot, and on any envelopes the ballot goes in. Some require signatures on the “outer envelope”, many require signatures, dates, and other information on the inner envelope. If that information is missing, your absentee ballot may be voided – so take some time and get it right. If you don’t want to mail it, there is a “drop-box” in front of the Board of Elections office in Newark, or you can go in during early voting hours and hand it to them.
In Person Voting
If you chose to vote in-person, either early or on election day, in Ohio you are required to have a photo ID with you. Here’s the link for what ID’s are acceptable: Voter ID.
If you are registered, if you have a photo ID, 99.4% of the time (I made that up) you won’t have any issues voting at your polling place. But sometimes, stuff happens. If for some reason the election officials won’t give you a ballot (or if there’s a system breakdown of some kind), here’s what to do:
- 1. Don’t leave the Polling Place (if you leave without voting – you didn’t count)
- 2. Ask to speak to the Precinct Election Official in Charge
- 3. Help them rectify any issues they have – and if that doesn’t work
- 4. Ask to vote on a “Provisional Ballot”
- 5. IF none of that works – call the ACLU (even if you’re a Republican) – they can help Election Protection Hotline 1-866-687-8683. Also, both political parties will have their own hotlines set up on election day (Dems, Reps) – as well as the League of Women’s Voters (the least partisan choice).
If you do vote provisionally, it means that you will “fix” the ballot at the board of elections later (usually in the next couple days). Provisional votes do not get counted unless they are “cured”, so don’t forget to go “cure” it.
Now, if you want to know WHO to vote for…
I’ll give you MY ballot choices in the next few days. You probably won’t be surprised.
