LIMA — There is no lack of options when it comes to registering to vote in the state of Ohio, but with Tuesday’s voter registration deadline looming, time is starting to run out for those who want to vote in next month’s election.
Adding to the sense of urgency is the fact that all county Boards of Elections will be closed Monday for the Columbus Day holiday. However, all of those offices will have extended hours on deadline day Tuesday, remaining open until 9 p.m. The Allen County and Putnam County Boards of Elections will open at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, with the Auglaize County Board of Elections opening at 8 a.m.
Even for those unable to make it to their county’s Board of Elections office, there are still other means to register on time. Registration forms can be submitted by mail and can be postmarked as late as Tuesday.
“Forms can be picked up at libraries, government offices and schools,” Putnam County Board of Elections Director Karen Lammers said.
A printable registration form can also be found at LimaOhio.com.
Unable to get access to a printer? The state of Ohio is now accepting online registrations at http://bit.ly/2vDRo9d. That option is starting to become more popular in some areas, according to Allen County Board of Elections Deputy Director Mark Vernik.
“It varies,” he said. “We had a higher spike Friday. But there is a growing number of people utilizing that opportunity, and it’s really a time saver for our office, so that’s really nice. We can process a lot more registrations that way.”
Online registrants must have the last four digits of their Social Security number as well as their driver license or state identification number, while in-person registrants need only have one of those forms of identification. For those who have previously registered but are using the online form to change their address, they will need to include whichever form of identification they did not use when they first registered, Vernik said.
Despite the multiple ways in which to register, however, some area boards of elections are not seeing an overall increase in voter registrations.
“So far, it’s been pretty typical” for this point in the election cycle, Lammers said.
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