2020 Ohio General and Presidential Election guide

NBC4 Staff

5 years ago

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — On Tuesday, November 3 Ohioans will have the opportunity to vote in the 2020 General and Presidential Election. In addition to voting for the next president of the United States, voters will vote for candidates for Congress, state legislature and local offices.

Voters will also decide on a number of local non-partisan issues, levies and bonds.

Election Day 2020

Polls in Ohio are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The deadline to register is October 5, 2020.

In-person Absentee Voting

In-person early voting begins Tuesday, October 6 at 8 a.m. Voters are able to request and vote an absentee ballot at their county board of elections or designated early voting center.

Ballots can be cast in person at the following dates and times:

October 6-9 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 12-16: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 19-23: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 24: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
October 25: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
October 26-30: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
October 31: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
November 1: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
November 2: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Absentee voting by mail:

Absentee ballots can be requested by filling out a request form, signing it and returning it to your county board of elections. Completed ballots must be received by the board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on November 3 or postmarked by November 2 and received no later than 10 days after the election.

The Secretary of State offers the following steps to request and vote an absentee ballot:

Complete the absentee ballot request form*.
Once you have completed your application by providing all of the required information print and sign it.
Mail the request form back to your own county board of elections.
Wait to receive your ballot in the mail from your county board of elections. If you have questions about your absentee ballot request, you should call your county board of elections or you can track the status of your ballot request as well as your voted absentee ballot through the Voter Toolkit.
Return your voted ballot. You can send it by U.S. Mail or deliver it in person to your county board of elections, but the return envelope containing your marked ballot must either be received by your county board of elections prior to the close of the polls on Election Day, or postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.

If you request an absentee ballot, but choose to instead vote on election day, you must vote a provisional ballot.

A letter sent by the United States Postal Service to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose warns that deadlines to request absentee ballots may not be compatible with postal service delivery standards.

Specifically, the postal service says requests for absentee ballots sent at the deadline of three days before the election may not be returned by election day. LaRose recommends all absentee ballot request forms be returned by October 27.

Resources

There are many resources on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website, that will make your trip to the polls easier:

CLICK HERE for your sample ballot, once finalized
CLICK HERE to find your polling location
CLICK HERE to make sure you are actively registered to vote or were purged from voting rolls earlier this year

Identification Requirements

Every voter, upon appearing at the polling place to vote on Election Day, must give their full name and current address and provide proof of identity, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.

The forms of ID that may be used by a voter who appears at a polling place to vote on Election Day include:

An unexpired Ohio driver’s license or state ID card with present or former address so long as the voter’s present residential address is printed in the official list of registered voters for that precinct
A military ID
An original or copy of a current* utility bill with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* bank statement with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* government check with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* paycheck with the voter’s name and present address
An original or copy of a current* other government document (other than a notice of voter registration mailed by a board of elections) that shows the voter’s name and present address.

*Current is defined by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office is as within the last 12 months.

Local information

Click or search for your county to go to board of elections website where more information on absentee voting, ballot measures and races can be found:

Central Ohio:

All of Ohio:

If it is on the ballot, it’s on NBC4i.com and the free NBC4 News app — tap to download to receive alerts as the votes come in.