Trending
With high-profile and competitive races for governor and U.S. senator on the ballot, the Mahoning County election director is predicting a good turnout.
Tom McCabe, Mahoning County Board of Elections director, said he expects turnout for the election in his county to be more than 55%.
McCabe said: “People are talking about the races for governor and senator. People will be more motivated to vote this time than four years ago” when all of the statewide executive branch races and a U.S. Senate race were last on the ballot.
McCabe said: “Both sides are motivated to come out. The advertising for this election is significantly more than it was four years ago. People are paying attention to the election and the advertising is making it hard to ignore there’s an election.”
Early voting for this election starts Tuesday.
Early in-person voting is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. It is also 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 to 16 as well as Oct. 19 to 23.
Early in-person voting is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 24, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 27, and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 to 30.
It is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 31, the Saturday before the election, and 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 1, the Sunday before the election.
The Mahoning office is at Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave., Youngstown.
The polls will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3.
County election boards in Ohio will remain open until 9 p.m. Monday to allow people to register to vote in the upcoming primary election if they aren’t already registered voters. It’s the final day to do so.
To register in-person, you need either your driver’s license number or state ID and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
People can also register online at voteohio.gov, the Ohio secretary of state’s website, by 9 p.m. Monday.
MAIL BALLOTS
All ballots, including those by mail, must arrive at county boards of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, when polls close, under a law that took effect with the primary.
Previously, absentee ballots had to be postmarked by the day before the primary and arrive no later than four days after the primary to be counted. That was changed, effective with the May 2023 election, when there was a 10-day grace period for ballots to arrive at boards of elections.
The only voters who maintain the four-day grace period are those who cast ballots living overseas or in the military.
McCabe said: “Mail ballots are a safe way to vote. But because absentee ballots have to be returned by 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, if you use the postal service, give yourself plenty of time – at least four to five days. If not, then you can put it in the drop box outside the board of elections.”
An approved photo identification is needed to vote early in-person and at the polling locations.
To vote those ways, a person needs one of the following: a driver’s license, a state ID card, a passport, a passport card or a military ID.
State Issue 3, on this ballot, would add that requirement to the Ohio Constitution.
Those who vote by mail can use either their driver’s license ID number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.