Early in-person voting continues in Stark County on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stark County Board of Elections, 3525 Regent Avenue NE in Canton. Saturday is the only weekend day of voting this week before hours expand sharply in the final week before the Nov. 3 general election.
Turnout has been strong. As of Tuesday, about 12,000 Stark County voters had already cast ballots in person at the board office, according to Elections Director Susan Verble, with roughly 1,000 people a day coming through the doors. The county’s early in-person total was expected within days to pass the 13,821 early ballots cast in the 2022 midterm cycle.
The board had mailed out about 21,000 absentee ballots as of Tuesday. Officials expect absentee voting by mail to finish lower than early in-person voting this cycle, a pattern election officials say is also showing up in other Ohio counties as more voters choose to cast ballots face to face.
Hours expand next week: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26; 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27; and 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 28 to 30. Early voting then closes with Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Voters casting a ballot in person must present an unexpired photo ID. Accepted forms include an Ohio driver’s license, a State of Ohio ID card, a U.S. passport or passport card, an interim ID form issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a U.S. military or Ohio National Guard ID card, or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card. Voters without a valid photo ID may cast a provisional ballot.
Voters voting by mail face a hard deadline this week: absentee ballot applications must be received by the board of elections by Tuesday, Oct. 27. Completed mailed ballots must be received by Election Day, Nov. 3, and a ballot returned in person must reach the board office drop box by 7:30 p.m. that night.
Stark County’s pace matches a busy statewide start. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office reported 194,841 Ohioans voted early in person during the first week of early voting, Oct. 6 to 13, up sharply from 50,368 at the same point in the 2022 midterms. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, when Stark County polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Photo: Niagara66, CC BY-SA