Ohio Absentee Ballot Postmark Deadline Inconsistencies
I compiled this information last week after receiving an Ohio application for an absentee ballot. While there are some Ohio Republican leaning counties that are not clear on the absentee ballot requirements, and some Ohio Democratic leaning counties that do provide accurate information, the question that still has to be asked is: In these 5 Democratic leaning counties (and possibly others) that voted for President Obama by large majorities in 2008, is there an attempt to intentionally confuse primarily democratic voters by providing misleading information?
Ohio Absentee Ballot Postmark Deadline Inconsistencies
(In these 10 examples the postmark deadline is worded differently depending on whether a county leans Republican or Democratic. The end result could create confusion among voters in the 5 counties listed below that voted for President Obama in 2008)
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Ohio SOS Website (John Husted REP)
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/Voters/absentee/regAbsenteeVoters.aspx
Steps to request and vote an absentee ballot:
5. Return your voted ballot. You can send it by U.S. mail or deliver it in person to your county board of elections, but the return envelope containing your marked ballot must either be received by your county board of elections prior to the close of the polls on Election Day, or postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election. You cannot fax or e-mail a voted ballot.
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Republican Leaning Counties
Gallia County BOE/Gallipolis, OH (REP/McCain/2008)
http://www.gallianet.net/index.php/gallia-county/board-of-elections
Links to Ohio SOS Website
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/Voters/absentee/regAbsenteeVoters.aspx
Steps to request and vote an absentee ballot:
5. Return your voted ballot. You can send it by U.S. mail or deliver it in person to your county board of elections, but the return envelope containing your marked ballot must either be received by your county board of elections prior to the close of the polls on Election Day, or postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election. You cannot fax or e-mail a voted ballot.
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Delaware County BOE/Delaware, OH (REP/McCain/2008)
http://www.co.delaware.oh.us/boe/
Links to different page on Ohio SOS Website (Postmark deadline is clearly stated)
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/Voters/absentee/absenteeMailing2012.aspx
How to vote from home once you receive your absentee ballot
All absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than November 5, and received by the county board of elections by November 16, 2012.
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Medina County BOE/Medina, OH (REP/McCain/2008)
http://www.boe.co.medina.oh.us/
Links to an internal page (Postmark deadline is clearly stated)
http://www.co.medina.oh.us/election/absentee.htm
For your absentee ballot to be counted, it must be received as follows:
1. If you return your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked* no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.
*Postmarked does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system such as a postage meter.
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Warren County BOE/Lebanon, OH (REP/McCain/2008)
http://www.warrencountyboe.us/
Links to an internal page (Postmark deadline is clearly stated)
http://www.warrencountyboe.us/geninfo/search/where_to_vote/absent.htm
Absentee Voting
All voted absentee ballots must be postmarked by the day prior to the election (and received with in 10 days after the election), or hand delivered to the Board of Elections office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.
Licking County/Newark, OH (REP/McCain/2008)
http://www.electionsonthe.net/oh/licking/l
Links to an internal page
http://www.electionsonthe.net/oh/licking/absvote.htm
ABSENTEE VOTING INFORMATION
3. When you receive your ballot: If you return your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked* no later than the day before Election Day and received by your county board of elections no later than 10 days after the election. If you return your ballot in person or if a near relative delivers it to the board for you, it must be delivered to your county board of elections no later than the close of polls on Election Day. If you are a voter outside of the United States on Election Day, the ballot envelope must be signed or postmarked before the close of polls and received by the board no later than 10 days after Election Day or 20 days after a presidential primary election. *Postmarked does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system such as a postage meter.
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Democratic Leaning Counties
Cuyahoga County BOE/Cleveland, OH (DEM/Obama/2008)
http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/
Links to an internal page
http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/vote-by-mail.aspx
For your Vote by Mail /Absentee ballot to be counted, it must be received as follows:
1. If cast from anywhere in the U.S. and you return it by mail, it must be postmarked* (the day before the election) and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.
*Postmarked does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system such as a postage meter.
Note: By omitting “no later than,” the instructions incorrectly lead voters to believe that the absentee ballot must be postmarked on a specific day, rather than within a much wider window.
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Franklin County BOE/Columbus, OH (DEM/Obama/2008)
http://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/
Links to different page on Ohio SOS Website
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/overseas/deadlines.aspx
UOCAVA ballots may be returned:
1. By U.S. Mail: The return envelope containing your marked ballot must be submitted for mailing no later than 12:01 a.m. on Election Day and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.
Note: An absentee ballot “submitted for mailing” at the post office after closing hours on the day before the election will be postmarked the following day. An election-day postmark will therefore invalidate the ballot. Also, the wording of “12:01 a.m. on Election Day” can be confusing to some people.
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Hamilton County BOE/Cincinnati, OH (DEM/Obama/2008)
(Site is listed as currently under construction)
http://www.votehamiltoncounty.org/
Links to an internal page
http://www.votehamiltoncounty.org/
ABSENTEE BALLOT INFORMATION
Once a request is received, a ballot is mailed to the voters home (or if indicated an
address outside Hamilton Co.) Absentee Ballots must be returned to the BOE by 7:30 pm
on Election Day & all information on the envelopes filled out correctly.
Note: No mention is made that the absentee ballot can be “postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.
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Summit County BOE/Akron, OH (DEM/Obama/2008)
http://www.summitcountyboe.com/
Links to an internal page
http://www.summitcountyboe.com/Absentee.aspx
Vote by Mail (Absentee)
All ballots must be received by 7:30pm at the Summit County Board of Elections on Election Day. (Listed under “Guidelines”)
Note: No mention is made that the absentee ballot can be “postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election.
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Stark County BOE/Canton, OH (DEM/Obama/2008)
http://www.co.stark.oh.us/internet/HOME.DisplayPage?v_page=boe
Links to an internal page
http://www.co.stark.oh.us/internet/HOME.DisplayPage?v_page=boe_absenteeBallot
For your absentee ballot to be counted, it must be received as follows:
1. If cast from anywhere in the U.S. and you return it by mail, it must be postmarked* (the day before the election) and received by the board of elections no later than 10 days after the election. If you return it in person or if a near relative delivers it to the board for you, it must be delivered to the board of elections no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
Note: By omitting “no later than,” the instructions incorrectly lead voters to believe that the absentee ballot must be postmarked on a specific day, rather than within a much wider window.
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I have not actually seen an Ohio Absentee Ballot; however, I am reasonably sure each ballot includes a list of instructions and deadlines so that voters’ absentee ballots will be accurately counted. Still, it seems quite strange to me that certain individual county Boards of Election would confuse voters, intentionally or otherwise, regarding the necessary rules that are in place in order to have one’s vote validated in an election. There is a simple solution to avoid any confusion, and that is to have each county BOE link to the Secretary of State’s website so that everyone is provided with identical information on how to apply, fill out, and return an Ohio Absentee Ballot. With so many different Boards of Election providing such an array of different instructions, one cannot help but imagine that there could be, in some cases, a nefarious attempt at play to intentionally disenfranchise voters who vote a particular way.
