Absentee, in-person voting on proposed constitutional amendment
The Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) reminds the campus community that registered voters in Ohio can begin casting ballots on Issue 1 today (July 11).
They have two options:
- Vote by mail—also known as absentee voting—first by requesting a ballot via the process detailed on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website and submitting that request to your county’s election board by 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1. To be counted as a valid vote, the ballot itself must be postmarked no later than Aug. 7; or
- Vote in-person at the location designated by the Board of Elections in the county in which they live (you can find information about your county’s board by visiting this webpage of the Ohio Secretary of State’s website). Please note: Those who wish to cast ballots in person must be able to present identification that meets Ohio’s current requirements.
Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase the requirements to change Ohio’s constitution through ballot initiatives.
Today citizens who want to put a constitutional amendment on Ohio’s ballot must secure signatures from at least 5% of the voters in the previous gubernatorial election in half of the state’s counties. Once on the ballot, that measure must secure approval of a simple majority of those voting (e.g., 50% plus 1).
If voters approve Issue 1, the signature requirement would apply to all 88 of the state’s counties, while 60% of those voting would have to approve a proposed amendment for it to go into effect.
The full text of the measure can be found on this page of the Ohio Secretary of State website. CCEL has posted information on its website regarding voter eligibility, registration, and participation in vote by mail.