Robert WangCanton Repository
Election Day is fast approaching.
The general election is set for Nov. 5, but early voting begins next week. Stark County voters will be deciding on a slew of local issues, along with county and judicial races. There's also the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and a statewide gerrymandering issue.
Here's what you need to know for the 2024 general election:
Election 2024: Can I still register to vote in the Nov. 5 election?
The deadline to register remains 30 days before the election. This year that deadline is 11:59 p.m. Oct. 7 online and 9 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Stark County Board of Elections, 3525 Regent Ave. NE in Canton.
Voters are required to update their address with the Board of Elections when they move. The Ohio Secretary of State's website has the eligiblity requirements to vote.
How do I register to vote in Ohio?
To register online, go toolvr.ohiosos.gov.
How do I know if I'm registered to vote?
Some states, like Minnesota and Colorado, automatically register people to vote when they interact with state agencies, most often when residents obtain or renew a driver's license.
Registering to vote in Ohio isn't automatic. You must be proactive and register yourself.
If you can’t remember if you’ve registered to vote in Stark County, or if you fear you may have fallen off the voter rolls, go tobit.ly/OhioVoterLookupto type in your name and check your status.
When is Election Day 2024?
You can vote Election Day, Nov. 5, at polling places across Stark County, all of which open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Note that if you’re standing in line when a poll closes on Election Day, you will still be allowed to vote.
How do I get an early ballot?
If you want the Stark County Board of Elections to mail your ballot to you so that you to mail it back or drop it off, the board must receive your completed and signed application by 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30, six days before the election.
The deadline used to be the Saturday before the election. You have to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number or your Ohio driver's license number or Ohio state ID number on the form. You can check if the ballot has been mailed to you.
What's on my ballot in Stark County, Ohio?
To see the contests on your ballot, go to the Stark County Board of Elections "Show Me My Ballot" feature.
How long do I have to vote early?
When you receive your absentee ballot, provide all requested information to confirm your identity. Make your choices on the ballot by completely filling the oval with a pen.
Be sure to insert the ballot into the ballot envelope, seal it and sign the envelope. If you don't sign the envelope, your vote will not be counted.
You must mail the ballot to your county board of elections by Monday, Nov. 4, or drop it off at the board by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Postage-meter postmarks are not valid.
If you mail the ballot, you have to pay for the postage. If mailed, the ballot must be received by the board by Nov. 9 for the vote to be counted. If an absentee ballot is mailed to you but you fail to return it and attempt to vote at your polling location, you can cast only a provisional ballot there while board staff confirm you didn't cast the other ballot.
Where is the Stark County Board of Elections drop box?
If you choose to drop off your ballot at the Board of Elections, you can place your ballot in the drop box or you can hand it over at the counter.
You are only permitted to drop off your own ballot, that of close family members defined in state law or the ballot of a person with a disability that you're assisting. The Ohio secretary of state on Aug. 31 directed county boards of election to require those dropping off ballots for close family members and people with disabilities to complete an attestation form.
The secretary of state directed the boards to post a sign outside of the drop box.
What are the early voting in-person hours?
The mailing of ballots and in-person early voting starts Oct. 8 at the county elections board.
If you want to vote early in person, the Stark County Board of Elections will follow the following statewide schedule:
- Oct. 8-11: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Oct. 14-18: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Oct. 21-25: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Oct. 26: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Oct. 27: 1 to 5 p.m.
- Oct. 28: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 29: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Nov. 1: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Nov. 2: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Nov. 3: 1 to 5 p.m.
Early in-person voting no longer takes place on Monday, the day before the election. The last day to vote early in person is Sunday, Nov. 3.
You can choose to vote on a Dominion voting machine or with a paper ballot. Curbside voting is also available for people with disabilities who park in the designated parking spots in the board's parking lot.
What identification do you need to vote early in Ohio?
When voting early in person, you must bring photo ID, which can be a valid Ohio driver's license, passport, Ohio or U.S. government ID, or military ID.
A college or university ID doesn't fulfill the requirement. Once valid as ID, utility bills, bank statements or documents without a photo of the voter are no longer accepted.
How do write-in votes work?
Technically, you can cast a vote for anyone – Sponge Bob, Bob Dylan or Bob Costas – as a write-in candidate in Ohio, but that vote won’t count.
In Ohio, write-in candidates mustfilein advance with their local board of elections to receive votes.
Voters then have the option of writing in the names of those candidates, and those votes will be counted alongside other named candidates on a ballot.
If you choose to vote for a write-in candidate, the precise spelling of the person’s name is not required.
Includes reporting by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.
