FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 30, 2012

SECRETARY HUSTED: ONE WEEK BEFORE ELECTION DAY, MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION OHIOANS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS

COLUMBUS - With one week to go before Election Day, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today released the latest absentee voting data for Ohio based upon an informal survey of Ohio’s 88 boards of elections.

As of Friday, October 26th, more than 1.2 million Ohioans had already cast their ballots. Of the 1.3 million absentee ballots that have been mailed to voters during the absentee voting period, more than 950,000 have already been returned or 71.9 percent. In addition, more than 306,000 voters had voted in person at their board of elections or designated vote center.

“The voting process in Ohio continues to go smoothly,” Secretary Husted said. “As we near Election Day, the pace of early voting is picking up.”

Secretary Husted is encouraging all voters who have requested and received absentee ballots to get them returned over the next week. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by November 5, 2012 and received no later than November 16, 2012, though voters may also return their ballots in person to their board of elections up until the close of polls on Election Day. It is important to note that if a voter has requested an absentee ballot and decides instead to vote in person, they will be required to vote provisionally.

There is still plenty of time to vote early. Boards of elections are open for voting during the following hours:

Tuesday, October 30 - Thursday, November 1: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, November 2: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 3: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 4: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday, November 5: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information on voting in Ohio, visit www.MyOhioVote.com.

Additional Information

Voting in Ohio: By the Numbers (Attached)

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For more information, please contact Matt McClellan at (614) 995-2239.