MOUNT VERNON — Changes in Ohio’s election law, combined with proposed federal legislation, are causing confusion among Knox County voters.
“I would say we have had a slight uptick in calls and questions about voter ID and voting,” Board of Elections Deputy Director Jack Goodman acknowledged.
“The state just had passed a new law, SB 293, that we’re adapting to and working with. That is not the SAVE Act, which I think is what people are reacting to.”
The SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act is proposed federal legislation that requires voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
Ohio Senate Bill 293 requires all mail-in absentee ballots to be received at the Board of Elections by the time the polls close on Election Day.
The exceptions are uniformed services and overseas ballots.
Senate Bill 293 also requires the Ohio Secretary of State to conduct monthly citizenship checks using BMV and SAVE data.
“There is a difference between the SAVE Act, which is a federal thing, and House Bill 293, which is state and has been enacted,” Elections Director James Blazer said.
“The SAVE Act has not been enacted yet. It may or may not be, who knows? … But I think that’s where the disconnect is: People are hearing one thing on social media and news sites, and they’re misunderstanding what it means locally.”
In addition to eliminating the four-day window after Election Day for absentee ballots, Goodman said, “Some voters are affected by a BMV status change to provisional status. We’ve reached out to those voters through mail and are trying to make contact.”
So what ID do you need to vote?
There are several types of valid photo identification for voting:
• 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.
“Those IDs are required for registration, but they are also required for you to vote,” Blazer said.
“If you don’t have them, then you’d be voting provisionally, and you would have four days to cure your ballot so that it would count.”
All photo IDs must have the following:
• An expiration date that has not passed.
• A photograph of the voter.
• The voter’s name, which must substantially conform to the voter’s name as it appears in the poll list or poll book.
If you are registering to vote, or are currently registered and possess a valid ID, you do not need to provide a birth certificate or additional documentation.
That information was already verified when your ID was issued.
An unexpired Ohio Driver’s License, State ID Card, or Interim Documentation with your former address is an acceptable form of ID if you have updated your current address with the Board of Elections.
“If you have name changes or something like that, and you don’t have an ID, then that becomes a problem, but that’s kind of a problem that has always been a problem,” Blazer said.
He cited a voter who has a hyphenated last name. However, the registration list did not show it as hyphenated.
“She wanted to make sure that that was not something that was going to exclude her [from voting]. We gave her a new registration to complete just to make it so that it fits what her IDs say,” Blazer said.
When in doubt, check it out
Voters must be registered to vote by Monday, April 6, to vote in the May 5 primary. Citizens can register at the Knox County Board of Elections, 104 E. Sugar St.
You can also register online at the BOE website (click on the Voter Information tab).
“We always encourage everyone to check their voter registration; that never hurts.”
Knox County Board of Elections Director James Blazer
Registered voters who have moved or changed their name must update their information by April 6. You can do that by visiting the BOE office or online (click on the Voter Lookup Search tab).
You may vote using any of the following methods:
• In-person early absentee voting (aka Early Vote held at 104 E. Chestnut St.).
• Absentee ballot by mail.
• At your polling location on Election Day.