Voter Registration Deadline is July 5, Early Voting Begins July 6

Ohio’s county boards of elections began distributing primary election ballots today to active duty military and overseas voters, officially opening the August 2 Primary Election for state legislative and party central committee candidates.

The deadline for Ohioans to register to vote is July 5 and early voting begins July 6.

“The August 2nd primary election is now officially underway as today marks the start of voting for overseas and military personnel. While every vote cast in every election is equally important, there’s something unique and meaningful about our warriors who defend America’s interests on foreign soil being able to easily participate in our election process. They are exercising the very rights they defend and impacting the communities they’ll return to,” said Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

“A primary election in August is unusual and certainly unexpected this year, but it’s no less important. I encourage the friends and family of Ohioans who are serving or working abroad to remind them to visit VoteOhio.gov because it's time for them to cast a ballot.”

Recognizing the complexities of voting from overseas, both federal and state law protect the right and ability for uniformed services and overseas U.S. citizens to vote by providing additional and adequate time for them to apply for and cast an absentee ballot. Ballots may be requested by mail, email, or fax, but must be submitted by mail or in person, like any other absentee ballot.

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act are federal laws ensuring this right in federal elections, while the Ohio General Assembly has incorporated those federal protections into the Ohio Revised Code and extended them to state and local elections.

Due to increased cybersecurity efforts in response to attempted foreign interference in U.S. elections, users in some countries or unsecured locations (i.e. public WiFi, internet cafes) may not be able to immediately access their county or state website. If that occurs, voters are encouraged to visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at FVAP.gov or call the Ohio Secretary of State’s office at 614-466-2585. The Federal Voting Assistance Program is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense and ensures all Service members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens have the tools and resources to exercise their right to vote.

UOCAVA ballots may be returned by U.S. Postal Service, APO/FPO System, diplomatic pouch or another delivery service such as UPS or FedEx, or in person. An absentee ballot delivered in person must arrive at the board office by the close of polls on Election Day. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be submitted for mailing by 12:01 a.m. on Election Day and must arrive at the board of elections office on or before the 10th day after the election.

Ohio voters will find the following races on their August 2 primary ballot:

• Ohio House of Representatives
• Ohio Senate
• Democrat State Central Committee
• Republican State Central Committee
• Local issues and measures impacting their communities

As always, all necessary voting information is available online at the Ohio Secretary of State’s Voter Toolkit, VoteOhio.gov. Once there, Ohio voters can download the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), check their voter registration status, find their polling location, view their sample ballot and track the status of their absentee ballot.

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