GALION — After the March 17, 2020, Ohio primary election was postponed due to the coronavirus, the Ohio Secretary of State extended absentee balloting in Ohio until Tuesday, April 28. Registered voters still have several options to obtain and return an absentee ballot in this election.

An absentee ballot request can be downloaded at ohiosos.gov, printed out, and either returned by mail to your county elections board or drop the completed ballot in the ballot return box outside the board of elections office. Most Ohio counties have a box available now, as directed by the Ohio Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State’s web page includes a link to request an absentee ballot right on the homepage. Click that link, then click “How to Request Your Vote by Mail Ballot.” Click on that box, and voters may choose any of three options to request an absentee ballot.

Voters who are not able to print out a form online may still request an absentee ballot by simply writing a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must include the following statement:

Write: “I’m a qualified elector and I’m requesting an absentee ballot for the March 17th Ohio Primary”

The current election process is still part of the March 17, 2020, primary election.

• List your:
• Full Name
• Date of Birth
• County
• Registration Address
• Mailing Address (if different from your registration address)
• Ohio driver’s license number OR last four digits of your Social Security number OR include a COPY of an acceptable form of ID
• Indicate the type of ballot you want: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian or Issues only ballot (choose one)
• Sign and date your letter.

Affix postage, and mail it to your county board of elections. In Crawford County, the address is 112 E. Mansfield St., Bucyrus OH 44820; in Morrow County, the address is 619 W. Marion Road, Mount Gilead OH 43338. All county boards of elections addresses are available on this website.

Absentee ballots may be requested from a county elections board as late as noon on Saturday, April 25, but the completed ballot must either be returned to a drop-off box by April 28, or postmarked not later than Tuesday, April 28, in order to be counted.

In Crawford County, registered voters should check the envelope taped to the drop-off box outside the door for an absentee ballot application requesting a ballot be mailed to one’s home.

The importance of the Ohio Primary Election is not diminished by the stay-at-home guidelines issued by the State of Ohio. Voters are encouraged to exercise their constitutional right to participate in all elections, including this primary election.

Register to vote in future elections

Non-registered voters still have time to a register to vote in future elections online at ohiosos.gov. In order to participate in an August 2020 special election, should one be scheduled, one must be registered not later than Monday, July 6; for the November 2020 general election, the voter registration deadline is Monday, October 5.

Not sure if you are registered? There’s a box to click for that on the Ohio Secretary of State’s web page, “Check Your Registration.” If you moved, either within an Ohio county or to another Ohio county, you should update your registration. Having voted in another state does not register you to vote in Ohio.