Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today announced uniform days and hours for in-person absentee voting for the 2014 Primary. The announcement was made during a speech by Secretary Husted at the Ohio Association of Election Officials (OAEO) Winter Conference in Columbus, Ohio, this afternoon.
The days and hours set by Secretary Husted today apply statewide and mirror a proposal put forward by the OAEO, a bipartisan group. In-person absentee voting will begin April 1, 2014, which is 35 days before Election Day, and end at noon the Saturday before the election. The hours are:
• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, April 1, 2014, through April 4, 2014;
• 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday, April 7, 2014, (last day of voter registration, R.C. 3501.10(B));
• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, April 8, 2014, through April 11, 2014;
• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, April 14, 2014, through May 2, 2014; and
• 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Saturday, May 3, 2014.
Secretary Husted noted the plan put forward by the OAEO for uniform in-person absentee voting is the only proposal that has received bipartisan support.
“To date, the OAEO plan is the only voting schedule that has garnered Republican and Democratic support, balancing both access for the voter and the legitimate administrative and cost concerns for large, medium and small counties,” Secretary Husted said. “Most importantly, this plan ensures that voters in each county have the same access to the ballot.”
Secretary Husted has repeatedly urged lawmakers to pass a bipartisan plan that establishes uniform days and hours for in-person absentee voting in each election. In the absence of action by the legislature, the Secretary is setting uniform hours for in-person absentee voting for the Primary to ensure fairness and that all voters are playing by the same rules.
Also during today’s speech, Secretary Husted reiterated his commitment to do a statewide mailing of absentee ballot applications for the 2014 General Election. The Secretary also shared with attendees the importance of every vote, highlighting data recently collected by his office that found that out of 110 recounts in 65 counties, 35 local races and 8 local issues were decided by one vote or by breaking a tie during the 2013 General Election.
Secretary Husted’s comments from today’s event have been included below.
Additional Information
Directive 2014-01: Uniform Days and Hours for 2014 May Primary
