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ABCs of qualifying and registering to vote
Q.: What must I do to qualify to vote in Ohio?
A.: In Ohio, you must register before you can vote. Generally, you must meet three qualifications to register to vote. You must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old or older, and an Ohio resident for at least 30 days before the election at which you seek to vote.
If you are 17 years old, you must meet the citizenship and residency qualifications mentioned above. In addition, if you are 17 but will be 18 by the time of the next general election, you can register to vote before the general election, or at the primary election before the next general election. If you are 17, please contact your local county board of elections for more information.
Q.: Can I qualify to vote if I have been convicted of a crime?
A.: It depends. Generally, you may vote if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor. If you are a convicted felon, but have been granted parole, judicial release, a conditional pardon, or have been released under a non-jail community control sanction or on parole, you may vote if otherwise qualified to vote. However, if you are currently serving time in prison for a felony conviction, you cannot register to vote or vote in an election. Also, if you have been convicted of violating Ohio elections laws more than once, you are permanently barred from voting in Ohio.
Q.: Assuming I qualify, how do I register to vote?
A.: You may got to any of the following locations, get a registration form, and complete it there:
· the office of the Secretary of State or any of the 88 county boards of elections;
· the office of any deputy registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles;
· offices of designated agencies that provide public assistance or disability programs;
· public libraries;
· public high schools or vocational schools;
· county treasurers' offices.
You also may register in person, through another person, or by mail at a county board of elections or the Secretary of State's office.
Q.: What if I can't sign my voter registration form?
A.: Ohio law requires you to sign or affix a signature to the voter registration application. "Sign" or "signature" means your written, cursive-style legal mark, or whatever legal mark you use in your regular business and legal affairs, written in your own handwriting.
If you cannot sign your own name, make an "X," if possible, on the application's signature line. The person filling out your application must then certify your mark by adding the person's own signature. If you cannot make an "X," you must indicate somehow that you want to register to vote, and the person registering you must sign the form and attest that you indicated you wanted to register.
Law You Can Use is a weekly consumer legal information column provided by the Ohio State Bar Association. This article was originally prepared by Sylvia Brown, Assistant Legislative Counsel for Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer L. Brunner. Articles appearing in this column are intended to provide broad, general information about the law. Before applying this information to a specific legal problem, readers are urged to seek advice from an attorney.
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