VOTER RESOURCES
The Jefferson County Democratic Party is proud to support voters in their journey to ensure that they are able to cast a ballot in every election facilitated in Jefferson County, Ohio. Below, you will find a generalized voter guide to learn more about Elections in Ohio, how to register, how to vote, and some common misconceptions debunked to ensure that you become knowledgeable about Elections in the Great State of Ohio!
HOW ARE ELECTIONS CONDUCTED IN OHIO?
Ohio Elections are administrated under both laws set forth by the Ohio General Assembly (comprised of the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate) and with the direction and Directives set forth by the Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio's Chief Election Official. While the control over setting laws and directives of Elections is centralized to these entities, every county in the State of Ohio has a Board of Elections that operates on behalf of the citizens in that respective county, administrated by four Board Members, two Democrats and two Republicans that are appointed by the Ohio Secretary of State upon recommendation by the county political parties. The Board Offices are then operated by bipartisan teams of Democrats and Republicans, ensuring that both parties are represented in the Election Process.
WHEN ARE ELECTIONS IN OHIO?
Ohio can have an Election at any time as ordered by the Ohio General Assembly. However, just with any other state, there are predetermined circumstances in which a Primary or General Election is held.
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Primary Elections are held in the month of May, except in Presidential Election Years, when they are held in March. When held in May, it is ordered that it shall take place the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the month. When held in March, it is the third Tuesday after the first Monday of the month. Please note that it is not uncommon that either some parts or Jefferson County as a whole may not have a Primary Election scheduled, especially in odd-numbered years. The best thing to do in order to check on the date that the election has been scheduled or if there is an Election based on your home address is to visit the Jefferson County Board of Elections website at https://boe.ohio.gov/jefferson.
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General Elections are always held in the month of November, in accordance with the United States Constitution. As it reads, the election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the month. All areas of Jefferson County will ALWAYS have an Election in the month of November, regardless of the amount of items that are placed on your ballot. To check on the date of the election, visit the Jefferson County Board of Elections website at https://boe.ohio.gov/jefferson.
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As said before, the Ohio General Assembly or the Governor of the State of Ohio, in certain circumstances, can order an Election to take place at any time throughout the year. Just as with any informed voters, the best way to be informed is to stay on top of the news or even our own Jefferson County Democratic Party Facebook Page for more information!
REGISTERING TO VOTE IN OHIO
In order to vote in any Election in Ohio, you must be registered to vote. Individuals in Ohio are NOT automatically registered to vote in any way - you must take a specific action to register to vote. However, there are several methods that make it easy and convenient to register to vote.
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Registering to vote, depending on how you do so, requires different items of information. Please be sure to read and submit all required information. Registrations that are received with incorrect or missing information will not be processed, leading to a potential that you may not be permitted to vote.
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1.) Register at the Jefferson County Board of Elections
To ensure that you are accurately and adequately registered to vote, going straight to the source is always the best answer. You can either visit the Jefferson County Board of Elections in-person during normal business hours or contact them by phone in order to request a Voter Registration Form be mailed to you for completion. Their phone number is 1-740-283-8522.
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In the event that you have any missing or incorrect information on your Voter Registration Form, a Board of Elections representative will work with you to ensure that you have the opportunity to correct any errors or issues with your Registration. If you are completing the form in-person, they will work with you on demand to do so. If you do so by mail, they will contact you via letter in the mail, so please be sure that you are attentive to your mail.
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If everything is correct and submitted on your Registration Form, you will receive an Acknowledgement Card that indicates that you have been registered along with your assigned Polling Location based on your address.
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2.) Register at the BMV, Jefferson County Job & Family Services, Public Library, or other Agencies
Specific entities in the State of Ohio are indicated as ​
HOW CAN I VOTE IN OHIO?
You can vote in three different ways in every Election that is held in the State of Ohio. As a voter in Ohio, you can take advantage of any way to vote in any Election that is available for you to vote in.
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1.) VOTE IN PERSON ON ELECTION DAY
You can always vote on Election Day from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM at your assigned Polling Location in Jefferson County. If you are unsure of what you must provide in regards of identification, please read the section below. Please note, you MUST vote at the polling location that you are assigned based on your address. To lookup the address that you are currently registered to vote, including the polling location for that address OR to review the information for an address that you may have moved to recently, please visit our website at https://boe.ohio.gov/jefferson.
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Voting in-person on Election Day at your assigned polling location only takes place ON THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE ELECTION. However, please note, that you CANNOT vote at the Jefferson County Board of Elections on the day of the Election as it is only an Early Vote Center. Please continue reading for other options to vote, either in-person or via mail.
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2.) VOTE EARLY IN PERSON
Did you know that you can vote in-person starting 29 days before the day of the Election? Early Voting in Jefferson County takes place at the Jefferson County Board of Elections at 500 Market Street, Steubenville, Ohio 43952, within the Ohio Valley Towers Building. Early voting, throughout the 29 days that it operates, has different hours, including earlier morning hours, evening hours, or even weekend hours available for you to vote. To view the current Early Voting Schedule for the upcoming Election, please visit the official Ohio Secretary of State Voter Information website at www.voteohio.gov.
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Voting early in-person only takes place at the Jefferson County Board of Elections. Please do not visit your assigned polling location to vote early - they are not open. However, you CANNOT vote at the Jefferson County Board of Elections on the day of the Election, you must vote at your assigned polling location. You must bring identification, similar to voting at your Polling Location on Election Day, in order to vote. Please see more information about this below.