Marion County voters have their longest day of in-person early voting on Tuesday, October 27, as the Marion County Board of Elections stays open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the November 3 general election. Early voting takes place at the board office at 222 West Center Street in Marion, according to the board’s official schedule, and Tuesday also carries a second deadline: Ohio boards of elections must receive absentee ballot applications by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, seven days before Election Day.
The extended Tuesday hours close out the third full week of early voting in the county and open the final stretch. The board’s published schedule lists early voting from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, October 28 through 30, then 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 1. There is no in-person early voting on Monday, November 2, so Sunday afternoon is the last chance to cast a ballot before Election Day itself.
On the ballot, Marion County voters will decide state and federal races alongside local questions, including a renewal levy for the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Marion County Now reported that the board is seeking a $4 million renewal levy that would maintain services for more than 1,000 local residents without increasing taxes, with homeowners currently paying about $67 a year per $100,000 of home value, according to the board’s Nikki Workman in Marion County Now’s reporting. The board says levy funding supports more than 50 local service providers, early intervention for young children and job transportation for working adults.
Voters who asked for a ballot by mail can return it by mail, in person at the board office, or in the drop box located at the back of the Marion County Building at 222 West Center Street, the board notes on its voter information page. Under Ohio law, a mailed absentee ballot must be received by the board by the close of polls on Election Day, so voters mailing a ballot in the final days should allow for delivery time or use the drop box instead.
Sample ballots for every Marion County precinct are posted through the board of elections website, where voters can also confirm their registration, find their Election Day polling place and check the status of an absentee request. Polls will be open across the county from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, and voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will still be permitted to vote.
For residents who have moved or changed their name since they last voted, the board’s voter lookup tool shows the registration record the poll workers will see on Election Day, and the board office can answer questions during early voting hours. Voters who requested an absentee ballot but decide to vote in person instead should bring the mailed ballot with them so it can be surrendered at check-in.
Early voting resumes Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. and continues through Sunday, November 1, before the county’s precinct polling places take over on Election Day. Results from Marion County will be posted by the board after polls close on November 3.