Vote now! Ballot applications due April 25

The 2020 Ohio Primary Election is still in progress, and your vote is more important than ever. Due to the closing of in-person voting on March 17 due to the coronavirus contamination, many people have not yet voted. If you already sent in an absentee ballot or voted in-person at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (BOE), your vote will be counted and there is nothing you need to do.

However, if you are a registered voter and were planning on voting in-person at the polls on March 17, here are the two steps you should take to vote by mail for the April 28 deadline.

  • Step 1:  Request a ballot. April 25 is the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot. You should do this now by going to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website to print an application:  www.443vote.us. If you don’t have a printer or postage, you can call the Board at 216-443-8683, follow the automated prompts, and they will mail you an application. You can also handwrite the required information on a piece of paper, sign it, and send that in.

Once you have the application that will have pre-paid postage, complete it, using March 17 as the election date although any date will be accepted. You can also write the application by hand as long as it contains the necessary information and the voter’s signature. Send the application through the U.S. mail or place the application in the secure drop-box in the parking lot of the BOE which is at 2925 Euclid Avenue. (The mailing address is PO Box 89448, Cleveland, OH 44101-6448.)

The last option is to go to the BOE where you can go in the back door, get an application, complete it, and leave it there. 

  • Step 2: You will receive your ballot in the mail. You can use the League of Women Voters website VOTE411.org for information that will help you make an informed choice. Send in your ballot as soon as possible, either through the U.S. mail or by placing it in the secure drop-box in the parking lot of the BOE. Your ballot must be postmarked by April 27 and received no later than 10 days after the election date of April 28. The ballot can also be delivered in-person to the Board of Elections by 7:30 pm on April 28 by the voter or a close family member. 

Additional information can be found on the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland website, lwvgreatercleveland.org, Click on "Articles" to read a blog post about the primary election, including a link that gives information on how to track your ballot once it’s mailed.

The only voters who will be allowed to vote in-person on April 28 at the BOE are those who are disabled and need special accommodations or are homeless between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The best option is to vote now

Jane Blackie

I'm a adjunct professor at Tri-C and write, cook and cycle.  I'm the Chapter Chair of the Bay Village Chapter of the League of Women Voters.  My husband, Bill, and I have lived in Bay Village for over 30 years.

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Volume 12, Issue 7, Posted 9:43 AM, 04.07.2020