COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced voting for military and overseas voters began on Friday, January 31, 2020 for the upcoming Primary Election which will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. The full, detailed and interactive 2020 elections calendar is available online.
Military and overseas voters who have not yet registered to vote or submitted a request for an absentee ballot may still do so by visiting the Ohio Secretary of State’s elections website at OhioSoS.gov/Elections. Voters can download the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), register to vote, request an absentee ballot, read through frequently asked questions, and track the status of their mailed ballot.
Due to increased cybersecurity efforts in response to attempted foreign interference in U.S. elections, users in some countries or unsecured locations (i.e. public WiFi, internet cafes) may not be able to immediately access their county or state website. If that occurs, please visit Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov or call the Ohio Secretary of State’s office at 614-466-2585. The Federal Voting Assistance Program is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense and has the capabilities to ensure all Service members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens have the tools and resources to exercise their right to vote.
Additionally, a spouse, father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother or sister of the whole blood or half blood, son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece may request a ballot for you. That individual may use the FPCA or the Secretary of State prescribed form 11-E, providing a mailing address, fax number or email address at which you can receive the absentee ballot. This request may be made by mail or in person at your board of elections.
UOCAVA ballots may be returned only by U.S. Postal Service or another delivery service such as UPS or FedEx, or in person. An absentee ballot must arrive at the board office by the close of polls on Election Day if delivered in person. An absentee ballot returned by mail shall be submitted for mailing not later than 12:01 a.m. at the place where the voter completes the ballot, on the date of the election. It must arrive at the board of elections office on or before the 10th day after the election.
