What form of ID is necessary to vote in Ashland County in the primary?

ASHLAND — The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming May primary election is April 6.

The Ashland County Board of Elections, located in Suite 106 at 110 Cottage St. in Ashland, will remain open until 9 p.m. on April 6. Its normal business hours run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Those needing to register may also do so online at voteohio.gov.

Registered voters who have moved to a new address or changed their name must update their information with the board by April 6.

Valid forms of photo identification for voting

Several forms of valid photo identification may be used for voting.

Amanda Jones, director of the Ashland County Board of Elections, detailed what forms of ID voters may use when voting in the upcoming May 5 primary election (listed below).

• Ohio Driver’s License
• State of Ohio ID card
• Interim ID form issued by the Ohio BMV
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• U.S. military ID card
• U.S. military dependent card
• Ohio National Guard ID card
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card

Mobile IDs are currently not an accepted form of photo identification for voting, Jones said.

Each form of photo identification listed above must include a photograph of the voter, as well as the voter’s name, she said. Each form of photo ID must also have an expiration date that has not passed.

If a voter’s unexpired Ohio Driver’s License, State ID Card or Interim Documentation displays their former address, it can still be used as an acceptable form of ID as long as the voter’s current address has been updated with the Ashland County Board of Elections.

Those registering, or currently registered voters, who possess a valid ID do not need to provide a birth certificate or additional documentation. That information was already verified when a voter’s ID was issued.

Early voting and Election Day

In-person early voting for the May 5 primary election begins April 7 at 8 a.m. at the Ashland County Board of Elections office, Jones said.

Here is a full list of opportunities to vote early at 110 Cottage St.:

• April 7 to 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• April 13 to 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• April 20 to 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• April 27 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• April 28 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• April 29 through May 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• May 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• May 3 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Polls open at 6:30 a.m. on Election Day (May 5) and will remain open until 7:30 p.m.

Information regarding voter polling locations can be found on the Ashland County Board of Elections’ website.

Absentee ballot by mail

Voters wanting to cast their ballot via absentee ballot by mail need to complete an application, print it and mail it to the Ashland County Board of Elections. The board must receive the request by the seventh day before the election at the close of business, according to the board’s website.

For an absentee ballot to be counted, it must be received in one of two ways; by U.S. mail or hand returned by the voter or an eligible family member of the voter. Below is information from the board’s website regarding both return methods:

• By U.S. mail: The return envelope containing your marked ballot must either be received by the board of elections prior to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, or postmarked no later than the day before the election and received by the board of elections no later than four days after that election. (Note: Ohio’s election law states that “postmarked” does not include a date marked by a postage evidence system, such as a postage meter. Therefore, the return envelope must bear a valid postage cancellation stamp affixed by the U.S. Postal Service.)
• In person: Your marked ballot, which must be sealed in the completed and signed identification envelope provided with the ballot, must be delivered to the board of elections office no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

Additionally, no voted ballot may be returned to a board of elections via fax or e-mail. If a voted ballot is returned by fax or e-mail, it will not be accepted, processed or counted, according to the board’s website.