COLUMBUS, Ohio — Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine recommended that last month's primary election be postponed. On March 25, a bill was passed by the Ohio House and Senate that states Ohio's primary vote will take place via absentee voting only, unless there are special circumstances.
According to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, each voter must receive their ballot, cast their vote and return the ballot in a postage-paid envelope, postmarked by April 27. Here's the procedure for getting that done:
HOW TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Visit the Vote Ohio website and print off your absentee ballot request.
Fill out the form, sign it and mail it in to your local county board of elections.
A voter with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may vote remotely using the remote ballot marking system. For more information about the remote ballot marking system, click here.
HOW TO VOTE USING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
- Wait to receive your ballot in the mail from your county board of elections.
If you have questions about your ballot request, call your county board of elections or you can track the status of your ballot request through the Voter Toolkit. Return your voted ballot.
You can send you absentee ballot in by U.S. Mail. Unless you are a member of the U.S. military currently deployed overseas or an American living abroad, ballots must be postmarked by April 27, 2020 and received by the board of elections by May 8, 2020 to be counted in the primary election if the proper information was provided on the identification envelope.
NOTE: The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) estimates that it may take two to five days for your voted absentee ballot to be delivered to your board of elections by mail. If you are returning your voted ballot during the week before Election Day, you should take it to USPS no later than the day before Election Day and ensure it receives a postmark as follows:- If you use a postage label purchased at a USPS customer service window or vending machine, the date on the label is the postmark. This is the USPS-recommended way to postmark your ballot.
- If you use postage stamps, ask that it be postmarked.
WHAT IF YOU ARE SICK ON ELECTION DAY?
If you or your child is in the hospital on Election Day, you can submit a completed and signed request to your county board of elections by 3 p.m. that day.
To be eligible, you or your minor child must be in the hospital because of an accident or unforeseeable medical emergency.
If you or your child is hospitalized in the same county where you are registered to vote, two representatives of the board of elections can deliver the ballot to you, wait while you mark the ballot and return your ballot to the board office.
Additionally, you may include in your absentee ballot application a request that your county board of elections give your unmarked ballot to a designated relative such as a spouse, parent or sibling, among others, who can take the ballot to you in the hospital and return your voted ballot to the board office.
Click here for our special coronavirus section.