Ohio voting: Today is last day to register to vote; election boards open until 9 p.m.
Oct. 4—Today is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 2 election.
Each Ohio county Board of Elections Office will stay open until 9 p.m. to accommodate anyone who wants to register to vote for the first time or update their registration. Voters can also register online at their county Board of Elections website.
People can also register to vote at their local library, any Bureau of Motor Vehicles location, the county treasurers' office and multiple other local services offices. If voters want to mail their voter registration form, it must be postmarked today.
To register to vote, you must be 18 years old by the time of the election and a U.S. citizen. You need your Social Security number and a valid driver's license, as well as your name, date of birth and address.
You can check your voter registration at the Ohio Secretary of State's website, or by checking out the voter registration tab on your county's Board of Elections.
Early voting will begin Tuesday. Voters can vote in-person at their local Board of Elections or by mailing in an absentee voting request.
While other states allow citizens to register to vote on the same day as they go to cast ballots, Ohio does not. Officials said that gives them time to verify addresses and registration.
"Part of the registration process is to make sure that you have a legal address here in the state of Ohio, that you're not registered somewhere else," said Jeff Rezabek, director of the Montgomery Board of Elections. "So that gives us time that we can double check everything."
It is very easy to register to vote, said Laura Bruns, director of the Miami County Board of Elections.
Bruns noted that while a lot of voters might look at these elections as not as important, the local issues directly affect their lives. Every Miami County voter has some issue or race they can vote on, she said.
"I always encourage people to vote in these off-year elections," she said.
Brian Sleeth, Warren County Board of Elections director, noted there are many levies on the ballot and local officials can make changes that can affect peoples' lives directly.
"These are the people that make decisions that affect the lives of people who live in that area," Sleeth said.
Officials also urged people to also be informed on what they are voting on. Sample ballots are available through the county Board of Elections website.
"We would just encourage everybody to continue to be to get registered, but also continue to be alerted as to all the different candidates and all the different issues out there and get to know them as you're casting your ballot," Rezabek said.
The election will be Tuesday, Nov. 2.
