COLUMBUS – More than 1.6 million Ohioans will hear from the state’s top elections official in the next few days: residents who are eligible to vote in the Nov. 8 general election but haven’t registered yet.
The deadline to register to vote on Nov. 8 is Oct. 11
Secretary of State Jon Husted began mailing absentee ballot applications to voters Friday in hopes of increasing engagement and to encourage voters to consider casting ballots early.
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“Early absentee voting has many benefits,” Husted said. “One myth we want to dispel is that absentee ballots don’t get counted until after Election Day. The truth is that absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night.”
“Voting absentee is easy and convenient – you never stand in a line and you don’t need to leave home to vote,” Husted said.
Those contacted will be encouraged to visit MyOhioVote.com/Register.html to get started by downloading a voter registration form or call (877) 868-3874 to have the form mailed to them.
The effort is part of a $549,411 outreach campaign that includes broadcast and digital ads on TV and radio, in English and Spanish.
The outreach program was made possible by the state’s recent partnership with the Electronic Registration Information Center, which has helped Husted’s office identify eligible voters.
State law requires voters to be registered no less than 30 days before an election in order to cast a ballot.
Voters can fill out and return the application and their absentee ballot will be mailed to them so they can vote and return their ballot to the board of elections ahead of Election Day.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Nov. 5th at noon. Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 7th in order to be counted.