Ohio: Voting Early? Choose Your Date and Time!

Did you hear? Thanks to the ACLU’s lawsuit against unfair voter restrictions, Ohioans will have the following opportunities to vote early:

Early voting lasts from September 30 through November 3.

• Golden Week: Weekdays starting September 30 and running through October 6, you can register and vote in-person on the same day. Boards of election are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. these days, except October 6, where boards will be open until 9 p.m.

• Weekend voting: Two weekends are available: October 25-26 and November 1-2. Boards of election will be open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. Early voting will also be available from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, November 3.

• Evening voting: On weekdays from October 20-31, there will be evening hours for early in-person voting. Boards of election will be open from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Counties may offer additional early in-person voting hours. For more information, go to the ACLU-Ohio Vote Center.

Want to let others know? Order new early voting cards for free by emailing contact@acluohio.org or call (216) 472-2200.   You can follow ACLU-Ohio on Twitter: @acluohio

State Senator Nina Turner Blasts Voter Suppression Efforts in Ohio

State Senator Nina Turner (D-OH) is a rock star. She ain't no Aunt Jemima! The Republican effort to suppress the vote in Ohio is the "biggest story in this presidential race," according to Ed Schultz. And in a fiery appearance on Ed's show, Turner pulled no punches in describing what's happening.

The GOP has shortened voting hours in all 88 counties since 2008 when 47% of voters — predominantly African Americans — took advantage of extended hours to cast their ballots.

Nina Turner took it from there.

"This is nothing more than uniform voter suppression, make no mistake about it".

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Nina Turner became one of my political favorites last night! She is obviously an outspoken advocate of the disenfranchised and under-represented and I hope she runs for statewide office in the near future!

Early Voting for November 2011 Elections in Ohio

I encourage all villagers to remember that our ancestors worked hard to ensure that we have the right to vote.  It is up to us to be informed about the issues and it is up to us to VOTE.   We are going to try to ramp up the Proud Black Voter blog.   In the meantime, this blog will share voting updates that impact on my fellow villagers around the nation.

For example, did you know that 'early voting' for the November 2011 election is up and running in Ohio?

Registered voters may download, fill out, print AND sign an absentee ballot application here (En Español). Applications should be mailed or dropped off at your local board of elections. Do not delay returning your application. By requesting your absentee ballot early, you will help avoid problems that may make it difficult to quickly and easily obtain an absentee ballot.

Not registered to vote? There’s still time! Get your voter registration form here. Remember, you must mail or hand-deliver the registration form to your county board of elections by October 11.

Get more information to protect your vote at http://www.acluohio.org/vote.

Time is Running Out: Check Out Your Ohio Voter Registration

There is still time to check and change your voter registration.

Check your voter registration to make sure you are registered. Check here.

The deadline for voter registration is October 11.

Check to make sure your name and address are current.

Change your name if it’s different from the last time you voted.

Change your address if you’ve moved since the last time you voted.

Note: Ohio does not have online voter registration, nor can you change your name and address online. You must mail or hand-deliver the registration form. The form to change your name and address is the same as the one used to register to vote.

Get your voter registration form and see the drop-off locations here.

Election Day is November 8, 2011.

Get more information to protect your vote at http://www.acluohio.org/issues/VotingRights.

Every Day is Voting Day in Ohio

I remember clearly how I felt when I cast my ballot for Barack Obama on November 4, 2008. There were quite a few others that did the same. Do you remember watching Obama's victory speech that night?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Here in Ohio, every day is Election Day through November 2nd, because early voting has begun. I went down to the Warren County board of elections office last week to cast my ballot. It took about 10 minutes. They even gave me one of those cute "I Just Voted" stickers.

Other villagers who live in Ohio can do the same. All you need to do is go to your county board of elections office or designated early voting location during regular business hours. Additionally, some locations are open on the weekends.

Click here for more information about early voting , including locations and hours of early voting places.

Casting your ballot is the only way to ensure that we can keep building on the accomplishments of the past 20 months.

And early voting in Ohio is an easy process -- you can request an absentee ballot by mail, or vote in person at your county board of elections or other designated early voting location. Can you make a plan for when you'll vote? How will you cast your ballot, and when will be most convenient for you?

The ballot I cast in 2008 played a crucial role in bringing about the change this country needs. Now, I've tried to do the same in 2010.

Absentee Voting for Primary Election (Franklin County, Ohio)

Absentee voting for the May 4, 2010 primary election is underway with the start of in-person voting at the Franklin County Board of Elections and the mailing of absentee ballots to voters who’ve applied to vote from home.

Absentee voting hours at the board of elections will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through May 3 and on Saturday May 1 from 8 a.m. to noon.

More than 30,000 have requested absentee ballots by mail since applications were sent to some 600,000 active voters last month.

Some key dates to remember:

• Voters have until May 1 to request a ballot by mail or until May 3 to ask for one in person at the board of elections.
• Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the May 3 and returned to the board of elections by May 14.

Absentee ballot applications are also available on the board’s Web site. The site also includes copies of sample ballots for each precinct and Election Day polling locations that registered voters can find by entering their name and home address.

For more information:

Ben Piscitelli
Franklin County Board of Elections
(614) 462-5351
bjpiscit@franklincountyohio.gov