Voters were lined up outside Tent Arena in Kettering just as the polls opened this morning. Alexander Bair said he came to the polls early on Election Day to avoid long lines after work.
“I just figured a lot of people would be turning out this year,” he said.
Joy Bush said she didn’t mind waiting in line to vote at Fairview United Methodist Church in Dayton. Voting means freedom to Bush, something she said others might forget.
“I want to make a difference. I do,” she said.
Erionna Johnson was also waiting in line at Fairview United Methodist Church with her son.
She said he likes coming with her to vote, but also noted how it’s important for him to understand the need to vote.
Over the years people tend to not feel like their voice matters or they don’t have to vote or it’s not important,” Johnson said.
She thinks some people don’t understand how important it is to use their voice by voting.
This election includes not just the presidential race, but also races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, Ohio Supreme Court and Ohio Statehouse, county-level leadership, as well as a few major tax levies, and the big Issue 1 gerrymandering vote.
Greg Wells, who was handing out slate cards in Middletown, said Issue 1 is one of the most important things on the ballot for him. He expressed concerns about corruption in politics.
As someone handing out slate cards, Wells said he’s been to the polls in Montgomery, Warren and Butler counties and the boards of elections have been packed.
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office said more than 2.5 million Ohioans had cast their ballots as of Monday. If turnout is the usual 5.6 million to 5.9 million level for a presidential year, that means 40-45% of all Ohio ballots were received before Election Day.
How to vote: Remaining absentee ballots
Voters still holding their absentee-by-mail ballots can return them to their county board of elections office in person on Election Day. The ballot must be received no later than 7:30 p.m. The deadline to mail your ballot back in has passed.
You can turn in your own ballot inside the BOE office, or put it in the BOE’s outside drop box. If you’re trying to drop off someone else’s ballot, it must be done inside the BOE office, and there are new, strict rules about who can do this, and how.
How to vote: Voting in person
Find your polling location, ballot
Election Day voting is at the polling location assigned to you, which may be a school, church, community center or other facility. Voters can confirm their polling locations at VoterLookup.OhioSoS.gov.
What will you vote on? To see a full sample version of the ballot you will be given at the polls today, go to www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/sample-ballot/. Click your county, enter your name, then go to sample ballots.
Photo ID rules
Voters wanting to cast a ballot in-person on Election Day should make sure they bring a valid photo ID.
Valid forms of identification include an Ohio driver’s license, a U.S. passport or passport card, a state of Ohio ID card, an interim ID form issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a U.S. military ID card, an Ohio National Guard ID card, or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.
All ID cards must be unexpired, have a photograph of the voter and include the voter’s name as it appears on the poll list. An unexpired ID with a voter’s former address is an acceptable form of ID when the person’s current address is in the poll book, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office.
Invalid forms of identification include out-of-state driver licenses and Social Security cards, as well as bank statements, government checks, paychecks, utility bills and more. Ohio’s new mobile ID will also not be accepted at voting locations.
Provisional ballots
Ohioans who do not come to their polling location on Election Day with a valid ID can still vote provisionally. Immediately after Election Day, provisional voters have to take another step for their ballot to count — they must come to their local election board office with a valid ID in hand within four days after Election Day.
Robust early voting season
Just a hair over 100,000 people in Montgomery County had voted early as of Monday, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s early voting dashboard — over 58,000 in person and 42,000-plus by mail.
Montgomery County Board of Elections Director Jeff Rezabek said his staff is expecting between 150,000 to 160,000 Election Day voters. He projected a voter turnout of 70-72% but challenged Montgomery County voters to exceed 80%.
“We are doing extremely well. Our staff is ready for it. Our facilities are ready for it. Let’s make Montgomery County proud of that,” said Rezabek.
