By DAN SEWELL, JULIE CARR SMYTH and THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press, and staff
COLUMBUS – Early voting begins Tuesday in Ohio, again looming as a potential swing state, but this time in a pandemic-altered election.
The Franklin County Board of Elections delivered 237,000 requested and verified absentee ballots to the U.S. Postal Service’s Business Mail Center on Citygate Drive on the East Side.
Elections officials are hoping voters will take advantage of early voting opportunities between now and the Nov. 3 election day. Besides weekday voting, early voting will be available the two weekends before the election.
Voters can cast absentee ballots early in person at boards of election or by mail or vote at polling places in person on Nov. 3.
Officials also urge those voting by mail not to wait until the final says, risking their vote arriving on time if the postal service is running behind.
Hamilton County elections officials showed Monday this year’s voting center that doubles the size of their usual space.
Early photos Tuesday morning showed voters waiting in long lines for board of elections offices to open so they could request absentee ballots or drop them off in person.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Tuesday that over 2.1 million requests for absentee ballots had been received by county elections boards, including 158,839 during the week prior to Oct. 2.
The Republican characterized his revised order Monday as a “clarification” of a one-drop-box-per-county order that drew state and federal court challenges.
Democrat Joe Biden is expanding his ad buys into every corner of Ohio as early voting begins in the state.
The push into traditionally Republican areas signals his campaign’s growing hopes that a state Donald Trump won easily four years ago may be within the former vice president’s grasp.
The campaign told The Associated Press that the new spots will air in 55 Ohio counties across Appalachia, farm country and the blue-collar Mahoning Valley, as well as on TV in Dayton.
That adds to television advertising already announced in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati and on Black radio stations.