What to know: Deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, early voting starts Wednesday

CANTON – Voters who will cast early ballots for the November general election but didn't vote in the May primary or the August special election will be voting for the first time under new rules adopted last December.

The Ohio General Assembly in House Bill 458 changed early voting hours, ID requirements and some deadlines for voting by mail.

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 7 election is Tuesday.

Early voting begins Wednesday. On that day, the Stark County Board of Elections will mail out requested mail ballots. The board already sent out on Sept. 22. mail ballots to voters in the military and voters who live outside the United States. And on Wednesday, Stark County voters can begin to vote in-person at the Board of Elections office at 3525 Regent Ave. NE during set hours.

What are early voting hours in Ohio?

However, those set hours no longer include Nov. 6, the day before the election. Prior to this year, people could vote 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. the day before the election. But now the deadline to cast an early ballot in person is Sunday, Nov. 5.

Last December, before the House passed the legislation revamping voting hours, State Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, explained the rationale for some of the changes. The state association representing election officials had for 12 years requested ending early voting the day before the election, Seitz said. Elections officials preferred to have staff the day before the election focus on preparing electronic poll books and equipment for Election Day rather than holding in-person early voting hours.

State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Canal Winchester, countered that early voting on that Monday was popular and “taking this day away is like banning shopping on Black Friday.”

The legislation took the six hours of early voting once allocated to that Monday and re-allocated them to the prior early voting days.

Related: 100-year-old Ohio woman couldn't cast ballot under new photo ID requirement

The new in-person early voting hours at a county board of elections office are:

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from this Wednesday to Friday, Oct. 27.

• 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 to Friday, Nov. 3.

• 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31

• 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 4

• 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5.

The state will not have in-person early voting on Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29.

Related: Ohio has a new voter ID law. Here's what you need to know for the May election

Mail ballot changes

Those who wish to vote by mail now have only until Oct. 31, the week before the election, to request a mail ballot. The Board of Elections has to receive the request by 4:30 p.m. on that day. The former deadline was the Saturday before the election. And to be counted, mail ballots must be received by Nov. 13. Before, boards of election had to allow for 10 days after the election for mail ballots to arrive.

However, the deadline to personally deliver a mail ballot by dropping it off at the office or in the drop box outside remains 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. The postmark deadline to mail in the ballot remains Nov. 6, the day before the election.

New photo ID requirements for elections in Ohio

Voters must present an Ohio driver's license, Ohio state ID, U.S. passport or passport card, or military photo ID card to vote in person — unless they submit an affidavit attesting that a picture of them would violate their faith.

Previously, providing a bank statement, utility bill or document with their address was sufficient. However, before, a passport was not a valid ID because it did not have an address.

Those voting by mail must when requesting a ballot provide the number for their Ohio driver's license or state ID, the last four digits of their Social Security number or a copy of their photo ID.

Seitz said a document that was not a photo ID was too easy to forge. And people can get a state ID for free from a local Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Travis Secrest, the election services manager for the Stark County Board of Elections, advised voters who want to vote by mail to request a mail ballot as soon as possible and to return that ballot as soon as possible. He also said it was important to completely fill in the ovals on the ballot, and not use x's or checkmarks, to provide all requested information on the identification envelope that ballot is inserted into and to sign the envelope to ensure the ballot is counted.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark Board of Elections has new voting hours, photo ID requirements