Absentee voting

What you need to know to vote away from home 

By Neil Scott Nicholson
Nicholsonn@findlay.edu

If you’re not from Findlay and you go to UF, you might have already figured out that driving a few hours to cast your vote on Tuesday, Nov., 8, is out of the picture with your busy schedule. Thankfully, you are not out of luck. Anyone who is registered to vote can request and send in an absentee ballot – you can even vote early.

According to a New York Time’s article about voting by mail, over 1/5 of Ohioans vote by snail mail each year.

Here’s how to cast your vote:

In Ohio:

1. Be registered to vote by Tuesday, Oct. 11.

2. Fill out Form 11-A (Application for Absent Voter’s Ballot) by Nov. 5.

A. The form requires your birthday and license number (Or another valid ID).

B. Indicate the General Election taking place on November 8th.

C. Sign, date, and mail by Nov. 5. It needs to be postmarked for Nov. 5 so make sure to drop it off in the mailbox early.

3. A ballot will be mailed to the address indicated.

4. Fill out the ballot and mail it on, or before, Monday, Nov. 7. 5. Use sos.state.oh.us to get the status of your ballot, if desired.

Not from Ohio? Other states follow a very similar outline. Use the following website to request a ballot or to register to vote in any of the 50 states in which you may reside: yourvoteyourvoice.org

If you’re still not sure how to get registered to vote or need any help in the process, consider attending the Student Government Association’s Oilers for America event next Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 2-5 p.m.. According to SGA officials, the mission is to educate and register students to vote.