Early in-person voting begins tomorrow (Tuesday) in Ohio, at the same time county board of elections are preparing to mail out hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots. For Ohio Public Radio, WKSU’s M.L. Schultze has more on the big demands of an upcoming big election.For months, Democrats have been battling in court the limits that GOP lawmakers passed on early voting in Ohio. And those court fights continue.
Meanwhile, both sides are gearing up to take advantage of the early hours the state does have beginning tomorrow morning.
Democratic State Sen. Nina Turner is a fierce critic of the limits. She acknowledges both presidential candidates are now shifting from trying to sway voters to trying to ensure their own supporters do, in fact, vote. She says Democrats plan to start off with a bit of a celebration tonight.
“We’re doing our part to bring some energy to this. We are holding a statewide sleep out to vote, so anybody can go to their respective county, primarily the large counties and meet your elected official, sleep out if you want to be the first in line to cast your vote at 8 o’clock in the morning. Pizza, soup, music, we’re going to have a good time.”
Meanwhile, all 88 county boards of elections are preparing to mail out absentee ballots. In a compromise to settle one of the early voting disputes, Secretary of State Jon Husted agreed to mail out absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in the state. That’s a first. And so far, that’s generating a lot of interest. Stark County, for example, has already received 30,000 applications, with five weeks to go before Election Day. Four years ago, it received a total of 46,000.