In recent months, Dayton has been plastered with campaign posters but many residents still have no idea how to participate in the upcoming mid-term election.
A mid-term election happens halfway through a presidential term in order to elect new congressional officials. With these elections coming up soon, here are a few things you may want to know.
Who?
Who is able to vote? If you’re not sure if you’re eligible to vote here are the criteria for eligibility:
- You must be a US citizen.
- You must be 18 years old or older before the election day.
- You must be a resident of the state of Ohio for 30 days prior to the election.
- You may not be eligible to vote if you have been convicted of 2 or more felony charges in the state of Ohio.
The following is a partial list of the candidates running for Governor and Senate. A comprehensive list can be found on www.mcboe.org
Governor
- Democratic Party Candidate: Richard Cordray
- Green Party Candidate: Constance Gadell-Newton
- Libertarian Party Candidate: Travis M. Irvine
- Republican Party Candidate: Mike Dewine
U.S. Senate
- Democratic Party Candidate: Sherrod Brown
- Republican Party Candidate: Jim Renacci
What?
The midterm election is to elect officials in the House of Representatives, the Senate, Congress, State representatives and Governor of Ohio. The House of Representatives has 435 seats up for re-election and the Senate has 34 seats up for re-election.
When?
The general election occurs on Nov. 6 2018, but the registration deadline is Oct. 9, 2018.
Where?
If you aren’t sure where to vote, you can go to the Ohio Secretary of State website, under “Election Day Voting” there is a link to click for each county. Once you click on the county you are registered in, you will have the ability to type in your address and your local polling station information will be provided.
Why should we vote? In a democracy, one of our most valuable rights is voting. By voting we are taking initiative in making our voices heard. According to an article from NPR, millennials (18-35 year olds) make up a large portion of eligible voters. However, only about half of millennials voted in the 2016 Presidential election, which means millennials are not accurately being represented in the elections.
How?
In order to vote, you must register in person, online or by mail.
In person, you can register at any public library, the deputy registrar of the Bureau of Motor vehicles, County Treasurer’s office or the office of the Secretary of State.
To register, you will need an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card. You will have to provide, your name, date of birth and address as well as the last 4 digits of your social security number.
You can also register to vote online through www.olvr.sos.state.oh.us, this link will take you directly to the page to register.
You can cast your vote in several different ways: You can go to your local polling station or use an absentee ballot which will be sent through the mail. Ohio does not currently provide early voting options.
Eclipse Leavy
Business Manager