Early voting deadlines, ID requirements have changed

The passage of Substitute Bill 458 means some changes are coming for Guernsey County voters, just in time for the May 2 Primary.

H.B. 458 has a few distinct changes that voters will need to be aware of. One of those changes involves what types of identification will be accepted for voting. In the past, registered voters could use a utility bill or bank statement with their name and address on it.

As it now stands, the only acceptable forms of identification are an Ohio driver's license, state ID card or interim ID form that has been issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a passport or passport card, or a U.S. military ID card. Any copies of a photo ID, military ID or a previously used form of identification (utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government documents) will no longer be accepted.

Voters who do not have the correct form of identification will still be able to vote a provisional ballot, providing they submit a valid ID within four days to board of elections.

Voters will no longer be able to come into the board of elections office the day before the election to cast their votes.

"The biggest change for us will be that we won't be having any early voting on that Monday before the election. On the 1st of May, people are used to coming in and being able to vote. They won't be able to do that this year," said Guernsey County Board of Elections Director Lori Bamfield. Sunday, April 30 is the last day that people can early vote in person.

The other big change is the deadline to request a mail-out or absentee ballot, which now is April 25. The board of elections has to have ballots mailed out by 8:30 that evening. "Voters need to get their application (for mail-out ballots) to us as soon as they can. We're taking applications for the May and November elections right now for early voting," said Bamfield, but don't expect to receive your November ballot anytime soon. The board of elections has to wait until 30 days before an election to legally mail out any ballots.

The drop box will be able to receive ballots on the 30th day before the election. The box is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a video camera. A bi-partisan team retrieves the ballots daily, and with the introduction of H.B. 458, tracking of how many ballots come through the drop box will take effect. The board will be reporting daily absentee ballot totals to the state when previously it was reported weekly.

Registration for the Tuesday, May 2 Primary-Special Election with be closed by law at 9 p.m. Monday, April 3. Extended hours for voter registration are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on April 3.

On your ballot

The May election is a small one, with only one Republican race and three issues on the ballot.

Democratic voters won't have a candidate race for the primary, as all of those candidates were unopposed. The contested Republican race is the countywide race for municipal court judge, between Michael G. Groh and Stephanie L. Williams.

On election day, all 35 precincts will be open, but some precincts will offer issues-only ballots. Those precincts are the City of Cambridge precincts, Cambridge Township precincts, and any township that contains East Muskingum schools.

Cambridge Wards 1 through 4 will vote on a 5-year, 3.2 mills emergency medical services (EMS) levy. Cambridge Township will be voting on a 5-year, 2.4 mill fire and EMS renewal. The seven townships that contain East Muskingum schools will vote on a 5-year, 4.9 Mills renewal and increase for the district.

Bamfield noted, "The key here is not to procrastinate. Make sure that if you're wanting to vote, don't wait until the last minute to early vote or to send your application in for mail-in."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Early voting deadlines, ID requirements have changed