CRAWFORD COUNTY — With early voting already underway, here are some things voters need to know.
May’s election will finalize who will represent the Democratic and Republican political parties in the 2022 elections. That includes: governor, statewide offices (attorney general, auditor, treasurer, secretary of state), U.S. House and Senate and Ohio Supreme Court seats.
Some races, like the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate or Democratic gubernatorial primary, are hotly contested. Some, like the Supreme Court races, are uncontested. Here in Crawford County, various political subdivisions have judicial and municipal candidates and ballot issues like the Crawford Park District levy.
And there are seats we aren’t voting on, like the Ohio House and Senate races. Those district lines, which form 99 state House seats and 33 Senate seats, are typically reconfigured every 10 years. However, the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected three maps proposed by the Ohio Redistricting Commission along party lines. State Central Committee elections for both parties missed the May 3 ballot as well.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a directive calling for elections to proceed, minus the races caught in the redistricting quagmire. Lawmakers, who control when primary elections occur, have not yet to set a date for those primary contests.
Absentee ballots are available at the Crawford County Board of Elections for the Primary
Election to be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. This is a Primary Election and voters will need to declare their political party to vote. Residents may vote by coming into the office during the following hours:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from April 11, 2022 through April 15, 2022
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from April 18, 2022 through Friday, April 22, 2022
8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, from April 25, 2022 through Friday April 29, 2022
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 30, 2022
1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 1, 2022
8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, May 2, 2022
You may also apply by mail. Request a form or just write a letter giving your Crawford County address, where you want the ballots mailed if it is a different address, your date of birth, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number or your driver’s license number, the date of election, a statement that you are a qualified elector and the type of ballot you wish to vote-Democratic, Republican, or Issues Only. Please sign your name.
Absentee balloting by mail ends on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at noon.
Absentee balloting in person ends Monday, May 2, 2022 at 2 p.m. Our office will be open until 2 p.m. on that day for absentee voting.
Absentee ballots must be returned to the BOARD OF ELECTIONS OFFICE by 7:30 p.m. on election day.
Please note that the Board of Elections office has moved across the street to 112 E. Mansfield St. in the Lower Level of the County Administration Building.
Call the Board of Elections Office at 419-562-8721 for more information.
