Participation power: Special elections matter

Ohio is set to hold a special election on Aug. 8 to amend Sections 1B, 1E and 1G of Article II and Sections 1 and 3 of Article XVI of the Constitution of the State of Ohio.

Special elections are typically held to fill an unexpected vacancy or address a specific issue, as is the case in the August special election.

If passed by a majority vote, the proposed amendment would do the following:

—Require any proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio receive the approval of at least 60% of eligible voters voting on the proposed amendment.

—Require any initiative petition filed on or after Jan. 1, 2024, with the Secretary of State proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio be signed by at least 5% of the electors of each county based on the total vote in the county for governor in the last preceding election.

—Specify additional signatures may not be added to an initiative petition proposing to amend the Constitution of the State of Ohio that is filed with the Secretary of State on or after Jan. 1, 2024.

“Remember to bring photo identification with you,” Wayne County Board of Elections Director Julie Leathers-Stahl said. “If you don’t have a photo ID, you will be provided a provisional ballot. Anyone with religious objections must complete an Affidavit of Religious Objection form to be included with their provisional ballot.”

The board of elections is aware of some mailings to voters that include an outdated version of the Application for Absentee Ballot form. The Secretary of State has advised the county boards of elections that applications submitted on an older version of the approved form can be accepted if the information provided aligns with current law, specifically the valid form of identification required by HB 458.

The application must include an Ohio driver’s license or state ID card number, the last four digits of the voter’s SSN, or a copy of both sides of the voter’s photo ID. If a noncompliant application is received, BOE staff will contact the voter and provide assistance to correct the issue.

Important dates include the following:

—Aug. 1: last day to request an absentee ballot by mail.

—Aug. 6: early vote center closes at 5 p.m. (last day to early vote).

—Aug. 7: postmark deadline for absentee ballots.

—Aug. 8: election day with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

—Aug. 12: properly postmarked absentee ballots much reach the board of elections.

Early vote center hours are as follows: July 24-28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 31 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Aug. 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (last day to request an absentee by mail), Aug. 2-4 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Aug. 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 6 from 1-5 p.m. (last day for early vote center) and Aug. 7 (no voting).

For more information visit the Wayne County Board of Elections website at www.waynecountyoh.gov.

Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for the Wayne County government.