COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted earlier this week reminded voters that the deadline to register to vote in the Eighth Congressional District Special General Election is Monday, May 9.
The United States Constitution, as well as Section 3521.03 of the Ohio Revised Code, require a special election be held to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Congress. The Governor of the state where the vacancy occurred is empowered to set the dates of the special primary and general elections. Secretary Husted, in his official capacity as the state’s chief elections officer, set the calendar and deadlines within those elections. The Southwest Ohio seat was vacated by United States House Speaker, Representative John Boehner (R–Ohio).
The winner of the Special General Election will serve the remainder of Speaker Boehner’s term which concludes at the end of 2016.
Register to Vote/Update Your Address
The deadline to register to vote in the Special Congressional General Election is May 9th (30 days before the election). Voter registration forms are available at MyOhioVote.com, county board of elections and local libraries. If sent via U.S. mail, registration forms must be postmarked by May 9th to be considered valid.
Voters can also check their voter registration status, update their information and utilize the Online Change of Address System at MyOhioVote.com. All Ohioans are encouraged to confirm and update their registration on or before May 9th, particularly if a voter has not voted in a long time, changed their name or changed their residence.
Voter Toolkit
The online Voter Toolkit is a one-stop location for all necessary voting information. Ohio voters can visit MyOhioVote.com/VoterToolkit to check their voter registration status, find their polling location, view their sample ballot and track their absentee ballot.
Military & Overseas Voting
Ballots for military and overseas voters became available on April 23rd. Military voters who have not yet registered to vote or submitted a request for an absentee ballot may still do so by visiting OhioMilitaryVotes.com or OhioVoterPassport.com for overseas voters. There they can download the Federal Post Card Application, register to vote and request an absentee ballot, read through frequently asked questions, track the status of their mailed ballot and sign up for election reminders via email and social media. All voters can also contact their county board of elections directly for more information.
Absentee Voting by Mail and In-Person
All eligible voters in the Special General Election may begin voting on May 10, 2016 (first day after the close of registration) via in-person and by mail-in absentee ballot. For more information, visit MyOhioVote.com.
Get Election Updates and Ohio’s Virtual Voting Sticker
All voters are encouraged to connect with “OhioSOSHusted” on Facebook and Twitter to get election information and updates throughout the year. Here they can also get a virtual voting sticker badge to let their friends and followers know they’ve participated in the General Election. Facebook users simply need to “like” Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s official Facebook page to “wear” a virtual sticker on their wall. Twitter users may share their voting badge by visiting the Secretary of State’s website.
