SIDNEY — The Shelby County Board of Elections would like to offer some general information and some specific suggestions that may be helpful as the November General Election approaches.
“The Board consists of four Board members; two Democrats and two Republicans. Additionally, the staff consists of the Director who is affiliated with one party, while the Deputy Director is affiliated with the opposite party. An administrative position is the third staff position in Shelby County handling front office duties. This structure along with other measures assures a bi-partisan approach to election management and is the framework for Boards of Election in all 88 counties of Ohio,” according to Jim Liggett, one of the Board members.
Shelby County employs paper ballots at all precincts which are tabulated by a DS 200 optical scanner. These ballots are preserved for 22 months after the election, for Federal elections. Once the ballots have been processed, and as soon as Election Day polls are closed, the results are transmitted securely to the Secretary of State’s Office. All of the voting equipment used by the voting public, including the electronic poll books (the digital pads where a voter signs for their ballot), are independent of the internet. The initial same day reports of election results are unofficial until the official canvass is performed the following week.
There are three ways to vote. The most familiar and common is to vote at your precinct polling location on Election Day, the first Tuesday in November: Nov. 5 this year.
Additionally, for a month prior to Nov. 5, voters can cast ballots early at the Shelby County Board of Elections in Sidney.
The third option is to request that a ballot be sent to you, which can then be mailed back to the Board or dropped off at the Board office.
Proper identification as well as registration is required. Registration information can be found at the Shelby County Board of Elections website, as well as voter identification requirements. The BOE’s website is: boe.ohio.gov/shelby/.
The dates you may want to be familiar with are:
Last day to register: Oct. 7
First day to vote early: Oct. 8
Last day to early vote: Nov. 3
Election Day: Nov. 5
All of these dates, as well as much more information, can be found on the BOE’s website. The office phone number is (937) 498-7207, and the office address is 230 East Court St., Sidney, OH 45365. Normal hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are extended hours for certain days of early voting, including some weekends as noted on the web site.
The Board encourages those that are unsure of their eligibility to vote, to call the office for verification in order to assure their registration is current. Typically, if no personal data has changed and one has voted within the past four years, the registration should be current. Checking your registration online or with the Board office is prudent, however.
“If you have a question concerning voting, wish to verify your registration or have other election process questions, feel free to call the office for assistance,” Liggett said.
KEY 2024 ELECTION DATES:
Last day to register: Oct. 7
First day to vote early: Oct. 8
Last day to early vote: Nov. 3
Election Day: Nov. 5
