General Discussion

Maeve

(43,338 posts)

25. Ohio--you have to research ahead of time

Fri Oct 21, 2016, 02:57 PM

Oct 2016

The newspapers (in my case, the Columbus Dispatch) usually put out a voters' guide the Sunday or two before the election, explaining both sides of amendments/issues. You can get sample ballots on-line (the county BOE websites are good about this) and we post a sample ballot at the polls so you can see what you're voting on before you actually cast your vote. the major political parties also send out "vote for us!" mailers and their websites show the preferred candidates and positions.
The ballot language is vetted by the Secretary of State's office so it's no more confusing than it has to be (supposedly), but...yeah, you need to do some work ahead of time.

That said, I voted absentee and only had to spend a few minutes on-line to see which judges I wanted to vote for, since they are technically "non-partisan" (so it's not labeled on the ballot) but get typically support from one party or the other.

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What kind of voting do you have in your state? [View all] meadowlark5 Oct 2016 OP

Michigan just has absentee and election day at the polls voting Siwsan Oct 2016 #1

What do you mean when you say not letting anything happen to early voting? meadowlark5 Oct 2016 #2

It was something I heard, in passing, on NPR Siwsan Oct 2016 #4

As I suspected - anything to make voter harder nt meadowlark5 Oct 2016 #7

Yup - and I have the burden of knowing Dave Robertson Siwsan Oct 2016 #11

Ugh meadowlark5 Oct 2016 #20

In Oregon Mme. Defarge Oct 2016 #3

Me too. MissB Oct 2016 #16

Washington angrychair Oct 2016 #5

yup MFM008 Oct 2016 #6

Used to live in VA angrychair Oct 2016 #12

Me, too...works like a charm....nt Wounded Bear Oct 2016 #24

I know the republicans don't want voting to be easier meadowlark5 Oct 2016 #8

in New Mexico... chillfactor Oct 2016 #9

Have fun! meadowlark5 Oct 2016 #10

Georgia has early voting. You can vote anywhere. On E-day you have to vote at your polling place. CurtEastPoint Oct 2016 #13

Florida has early voting and vote by mail as well as Election Day voting, of course csziggy Oct 2016 #15

I would absolutely have to have a sample ballot with my selections to take with me meadowlark5 Oct 2016 #19

Go to the League of Women Voters of Colorado csziggy Oct 2016 #27

This was the first time I got to vote by mail (FL) geomon666 Oct 2016 #17

Here in South Dakota, we have a long... prairierose Oct 2016 #18

Alabackward: One day voting on election day. trof Oct 2016 #21

Minnesota has awesome voting laws. trotsky Oct 2016 #22

Ohio--you have to research ahead of time Maeve Oct 2016 #25

Texas has early voting Skittles Oct 2016 #26

This message was self-deleted by its author yortsed snacilbuper Oct 2016 #36

Early voting just started in MA. Tracer Oct 2016 #28

I always spend several hours with a sample ballot to do research frazzled Oct 2016 #29

Early voting, absentee ballots available for shut ins Warpy Oct 2016 #30

Mass: In person machine voting 10/24, in person absentee voting rolling for weeks getagrip_already Oct 2016 #31

New YOrk - Optical scan leftynyc Oct 2016 #32

Used to be "Early and Often" as 9ui11iani alleged. ChairmanAgnostic Oct 2016 #33

My states vote by mail. LWolf Oct 2016 #34

Got my Oregon mail-in ballot today bhikkhu Oct 2016 #35

Dec 1969 #