WILMINGTON — Multiple Clinton County residents recently raised concerns after finding themselves without mail-in absentee ballots ahead of last month’s primary election, resulting in them choosing to vote in person instead.
Upon inquiry, the Clinton County Board of Elections responded, stating, “The Clinton County Board of Elections sent out 416 ballots to voters who applied for a ballot by mail. A total of 26 of these ballots were not voted and returned to the Board of Elections. We did receive word from a few voters that they did not receive their ballot in a timely fashion. We have discussed the delivery of absentee ballots with the post office. They assure us that absentee ballots are given priority processing.”
The absentee ballot process in Ohio involves completing an absentee ballot request form, which must then be mailed back to the county board of elections. Once the request form is received, voters wait to receive their ballot in the mail. It’s essential to track the status of the ballot request and the voted absentee ballot through the Voter Toolkit provided by the county board of elections.
Upon receiving the absentee ballot, voters must complete it and return it either by mail or in person to the board of elections. If returned by mail, it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day and received by the board of elections no later than four days after the election. Alternatively, voters can return the ballot in person, or have a near relative deliver it for them, by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
“We are currently accepting requests for absentee ballots for the November General Election, but we do not begin sending out the ballots until the day after voter registration closes (30 days before the election),” the Clinton County Board of Elections stated. “This means that for the November election, we will begin sending out absentee ballots on October 8.”
“After October 8, the Board of Elections will process requests for absentee ballots daily, which means the ballots are typically sent out the day after we receive the Absentee Ballot Application form. Voters should receive their ballots between two and five days after we mail the voting packet to them. The last day to request an absentee ballot for the November 5 General election is October 29 (7 days before the election), and they must be postmarked by November 4 and received by November 9 in order to be counted,” said Andrea Tacoronte, director of the Clinton County Board of Elections.
For further updates or assistance regarding absentee ballots, residents are encouraged to contact the Clinton County Board of Elections directly at 937-382-3537. The office is located at 111 S. Nelson Ave. #4, Wilmington.
