With the Ohio general election just a sunrise away, Secretary of State Frank LaRose has put out the last of the early vote tallies - and things are looking transparent, according to his office's announcement. LaRose is touting Ohio's steps toward election clarity, pushing voters to check their voting status and preview their ballots before they head out to vote this November 4.
The number crunchers and democracy buffs out there can get their fix by poking around the Ohio Absentee and Early Voting Data Dashboard, it's a playground for those who like their facts and figures served straight up, and it's just been updated, LaRose's team is promising an experience that's as crystal clear as an autumn day in the Buckeye State, just head over to the Secretary of State's online hub to dig through the data and find your polling place, while you’re there don’t forget you need your photo ID and, as LaRose says, "a smile."
This electoral affair isn't a freewheeling party, though, there are rules to this game. If you want your voice to echo through the absentee ballot route, better make sure that envelope is postmarked by the day before the election, specifically by November 3. It has to land in the local board's hands within four days after the elections wind down - set your watches and calendars, folks.
Election Day itself opens the gates early, with polls welcoming voters from 6:30 in the morning until the curtains close at 7:30 in the evening, and if by chance you requested an absentee ballot but didn't kiss it goodbye through the mail and decide to stroll into the polling place instead, the board's got a provisional ballot with your name on it, just don't try to play the system because they'll check to make sure you're not voting twice before they throw your hat in the ring.
For a state that's usually mentioned in the same breath as swing states, bellwether territory, and the heartbeat of the Midwest’s political scene, Ohio's leading by example by laying its cards on the table; it's all for the taking, scrutinizing, or just out of plain curiosity, because as Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose puts it: “From voter registration information to absentee and early voting data, Ohio continues to set the standard for election transparency.” So, if you're in Ohio and want to contribute your couple of cents to the political piggy bank, tomorrow's your shot - make it count.
