Ohio Secretary of State discusses secure voting, important deadlines and more
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose recently issued a series of key reminders as early voting approaches on Oct. 8 for the 2024 General Election. Early voting begins the day after the close of voter registration.
“Bipartisan election officials across Ohio made a commitment to ensure we’re fully prepared for this high-profile election,” he said in a press release. “Tedious preparation is the key to executing any successful election, and Ohioans can have confidence that no matter which of Ohio’s three convenient methods of voting they choose, their vote will be secure.”
For Ohioans who requested absentee ballots, local boards of elections will begin mailing ballots on Oct. 8. Secretary LaRose said in the release. He encourages voters to do their research and return their ballots as soon as possible.
Absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 4 and must be received by their board of elections no later than four days after Election Day.
Secretary LaRose also reminded voters that to enforce Ohio’s prohibition against ballot harvesting, anyone who is returning a ballot for a family member or disabled individual must do so by presenting that ballot to elections officials at the county board of elections.
Drop boxes may still be used to deliver personal ballots.
Voters who plan to vote either early, in-person or on Election Day are required to present an approved photo ID at their polling location. 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 including Ohio National Guard
- US Department of Veterans Affairs ID card
Important Election Deadlines
- October 7 - Deadline for voter registration
- October 8 - Early in-person voting and absentee voting by mail begins
- October 29 - Deadline to request an absentee ballot
- November 5 - Election Day, polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
All of the information needed to confirm your voter registration, vote absentee, or cast your ballot in-person can be found at the Vote Ohio website.
This story was originally published October 5, 2024 at 6:00 AM.