State And Regional

What Ohioans should know about the upcoming November general election

By WHIO Staff
By WHIO Staff

OHIO — With the Nov. 7 general election coming up, there are some things that voters need to know.

The general election will cover two statewide issues, the right to abortion access and the legalization of recreational marijuana.

The deadline to register to vote in the election is Oct. 10, and early voting will begin on Oct. 11.

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Two state issues will appear on the ballot this November:

Ohio’s Issue 1 is all about abortion rights. If passed, Issue 1 would “establish an individual right to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion,” our Columbus-based news partner WBNS reported. This issue comes after the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, and abortion laws became a state issue.

Issue 2 will determine whether recreational marijuana will be legalized. The legalization of Marijuana is being led by the Coalition to regulate Marijuana like Alcohol, WBNS reported and would allow adults 21 and older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis flower and 15 grams of extract. Ohio would become the 24th state to legalize cannabis use for adults if the measure passes.

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BELOW IS A BRIEF GUIDE FOR THE UPCOMING VOTING SEASON:

The last day to register to vote in Ohio is Oct. 10, and early voting begins that following day at each county’s board of elections.

Early in-person voting schedule:

  • Oct. 11 – Oct. 27: from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Oct. 30 – Nov. 3: from 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 4: from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Nov. 5: from 1 – 5 p.m.

Military and overseas absentee voting begins Sept. 22 and ends Nov. 6 (postmark deadline). Absentee ballot voting by mail begins Oct. 11 and ends Nov. 6 (postmark deadline).

Polls in Ohio on Election Day are open between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Polling locations can be found by visiting this website. Voters can find all local races by getting a sample ballot.

OHIO VOTING REQUIREMENTS:

Valid types of photo identification include:

  • Ohio driver’s license
  • State of Ohio ID card
  • Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
  • US passport
  • US passport card
  • US military ID card
  • Ohio National Guard ID card
  • US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

All photo IDs must have an expiration date that has not passed.

What if you forget your ID on Election Day? You will still be able to vote using a provisional ballot. For that ballot to be counted, you must return to the board of elections no later than four days following Election Day to provide a qualifying form of identification.

Ohio law prohibits acceptance of the following forms of ID:

  • Out-of-state driver’s license or photo ID
  • Social Security card
  • Birth certificate
  • Insurance card
  • Utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Government check
  • Paycheck
  • Other government document
  • Any registration acknowledgment notice from the county board of elections

VOTING RESOURCES:

©2023 Cox Media Group

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