BUCYRUS—Monday is the last day to register to vote for Ohio residents and early voting kicks off on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

According to Ruth Leuthold, director of the Crawford County Board of Elections, the office will be open extended hours on Monday for people to come in to register from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Early voting begins on Tuesday with voters being required to wear a mask and come to the Board of Elections office in the lower level of the Crawford County Courthouse.

“We will have voting stations set up in the conference room across the hall from our office as in previous years,” said Leuthold.

Voters will cast their ballot on a voting machine, the same ones used on Election Day, during regular business hours of the Board of Elections which are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Extended hours for early voting at the Board of Elections office include:

Beginning Oct. 19, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Saturday, Oct. 24, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 25, the office will be open from 1 to 5 p.m.

Week of Oct. 26, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 1, the office will be open from 1 to 5 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 2, early voting will be allowed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“People need to have a state ID or their driver’s license to vote. If they do not have either of those, they need to bring a government document or current utility bill that shows their correct name and address,” said Leuthold.

These are the same requirements for voters who cast their ballot on Election Day, Nov. 3, at their designated polling place.

Leuthold said a directive from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose came late last week in regards to people who requested a mail-in (absentee) ballot but decide to vote in person.

“If someone requested a ballot to be mailed to them but decide to vote in person, they can come to the office to vote so we can immediately cancel their request for a mail-in ballot from the computer and they must bring the ballot with them. If they wait until Election Day and vote at their polling place, the poll workers will not have the capability to cancel the request for a mail-in ballot from the computer and they will have to cast a provisional ballot,” said Leuthold.

Leuthold said provisional ballots will be counted during the official vote count 10 days after Election Day.

For people who requested a ballot to be sent to them by mail, Leuthold and her staff will begin mailing those out to residents on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

As of Thursday, Leuthold said her office has received 5,459 requests for mail-in ballots, 1,459 more requests during the last election in which 4,000 mail-in ballots were requested.

People can mail their ballots into the Board of Elections office or drop them off in the ballot located near the street on South Walnut Street in Bucyrus near the main entrance of the Crawford County Courthouse.

“The box is unlocked and people can also drop off applications for a ballot to be mailed to them,” said Leuthold.

The deadline to request a ballot by mail is 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2020.

For people waiting until Nov. 3 to vote at their regular polling place, the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and masks are required.

“Masks will be required to vote in person and for people who cannot wear one, they can vote curbside,” Leuthold said.

She said curbside voting is not a new concept.

“We have always offered it for people who are unable to come inside. We send two poll workers, one from the Republican party and one from the Democratic Party, out to take the ballot to the person. It is placed in a sealed envelope and both workers bring it into the precinct to be placed in a ballot box to be counted on Election Night,” said Leuthold.

Dates to Remember:

Election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

The deadline to register online to vote is Monday, October 5, 2020.

The deadline for registering by mail to vote is (postmarked by) Monday, October 5, 2020.

The deadline to register in-person to vote is Monday, October 5, 2020.

The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Saturday, October 31, 2020.

The early voting period runs from Tuesday, October 6, 2020, to Monday, November 2, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.

For more information, visit the Crawford County Board of Elections website, call 419-562-8721 or visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.