“The trend line for both absentees by mail and in-person voting has been increasing,” Greathouse said.
Clark County Board of Elections Deputy Director Amber Lopez said they will send out about 7,000 absentee ballots Wednesday and are ready to accept early voters.
“We have our staff, part-time staff that works with the voters, trained and ready to go,” she said.
The early voting polling locations at the two election boards open at 8 a.m. Voters will have an opportunity to decide on national races like a new U.S. Senator and who should serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. They will also get a chance to vote on local tax issues as well as local races.
In 2020, Montgomery County saw more than half of all voters fill out a ballot before Election Day. Greathouse said that year was likely an outlier as it was in the middle of the pandemic, but there’s still an expectation that many will choose to vote early this year.
People like being able to research candidates while voting at a kitchen table or having the flexibility to cast a ballot whenever their schedule allows, Montgomery County Board of Elections Director Jeff Rezabek said.
“I think people are seeing that convenience,” Rezabek said. “(They may) say look, I’m free at this moment. I’m not free on Nov. 8 Election Day, so I can get it in.”
”We’re excited about that because that just gets more people participating,” he said.
During a Montgomery County Board of Elections meeting Tuesday, mail thefts became a topic of conversation. Local law enforcement has reported they have seen a rash of thefts from mailboxes and some have voiced concern over whether a ballot put into a blue mailbox is safe.
Rezabek said making sure every ballot gets counted is a priority and people who choose to vote absentee can track their ballot online at the Ohio Secretary of State’s Track Your Ballot website. Mail thefts appear to be going after checks and credit cards rather than ballots, he said.
“We are in constant contact with the local post office. We’re not aware of anything directly related to the election process,” Rezabek said.
People who prefer not to use the blue mailboxes can bring their ballots inside a post office and hand it directly to a postal employee, Rezabek said, or can come to the Montgomery County Administration Building and drop it off at the election board office or the drop boxes outside.
Complete election coverage
The Dayton Daily News is your source for everything you need to vote in this year’s mid-term elections. Go to DaytonDailyNews.com/elections for the latest election news, info on how to cast your ballot, and our complete voter’s guide.
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